Common  Forest   Trees 
Of 
i^orth  Carolina 


Holmes 


! 

(Hljp  i.  m.  'Ml  IGihrara 

1 

1 

j 

Nortli  Olarolina  S'tate  Hnitiprflitg 

•■■50 
1923 

i 

^UKEST  RESOURCES 


i£.STATE    UNIVERSITY      D  H     HILL    LIBRARY 

R  f  ffPf  f  I'll!''' 

S00427292  Q 


COMMON 


FOREST 
TREES 


OF 


NORTH  CAROLINA 


HOW  TO  KNOW  THEM 


THIS  BOOK  IS  DUE  ON  THE  DATE 
INDICATED  BELOW  AND  IS  SUB- 
JECT TO  AN  OVERDUE  FINE  AS 
POSTED  AT  THE  CIRCULATION 
DESK. 


m^2im 


A  PO 

North  Carolini 
Survejl 

In  Co-oper* 
U.  S.  Dt 


NORTH  CAROUNA  GEOLOGICAL  AND 
ECONOMIC  SURVEY 

Joseph  Hyde  Pratt^  Director, 
Chapel  Hill,  N.  C. 


Geological  Board 

Governor  Cameron  Morrison^  Chairman  ex-officio. 

Frank  R.  Hewitt Asheville 

C.  C.  Smoot,  III North  Wilkesboro 

John  H.  Small, Washington 

Dr.  S.  Westray  Battle Ashe^ille 


Forestry  Division 

J.  S.  Holmes^  State  Forester. 

In  Co-operation  With 

THE  FOREST  SERVICE,  UNITED  STATES 
DEPARTMENT  OF  AGRICULTURE. 


COMMON 

FOREST  TREES 

— OF— 

NORTH  CAROLINA 

WO\N  TO  KNOW  THEM 


c^  POCKET  MANUAL 

Prepared  by 
J.  S.  Holmes,  State  Forester 

NORTH  CAROLINA  GEOLOGICAL  AND 
ECONOMIC  SURVEY 

With  the  Collaboration    of    the    State    Foresters    of 

Tennessee,  Virginia  and  Mag:yland,  and 

the  help  and  advice  of  the 

FOREST   SERVICE 
U.  S.  Department  of  Agriculture 


CHAPEL  HILL,  N    C. 
1923 


raiRe^T  "FRIERS 


FOREWORD 

This  handbook  has  been  planned  and  published  by 
the  North  Carolina  Geological  and  Economic  Sur- 
vey in  order  that  our  people  may  have  a  convenient 
book  of  reference,  by  the  help  of  which  they  may 
learn  to  recognize  the  trees  common  to  their  locality. 
Should  the  use  of  this  handbook  lead  to  the  desire 
for  further  knowledge,  the  State  Forester  will  gladly 
direct  inquirers  to  literature  on  any  phase  of 
forestry. 

Bulletin  6  of  the  Survey,  "The  Timber  Trees  of 
North  Carolina,"  by  Gitford  Pinchot  and  W.  W. 
Ashe,  has  been  out  of  print  for  many  years,  and 
while  the  present  small  book  in  no  way  takes  its 
place,  it  does  in  part  supply  a  demand  for  informa- 
tion concerning  our  trees  which  has  each  year  be- 
come more  insistent.  The  Survey  hopes  sometime 
in  the  future  to  prepare  a  volume  on  our  trees  more 
in  keeping  with  the  importance  of  the  subject.  Until 
that  time,  it  is  hoped  that  this  manual  will  have  the 
wddest  possible  circulation. 

The  text  has  been  prepared  by  the  State  Forester 
in  collaboration  with  the  State  Foresters  of  Tennes- 
see, Virginia  and  Maryland,  each  of  whom  is  adapt- 
ing it  to  use  in  his  own  State  and  publishing  it 
simultaneously  The  style  of  the  book  and  many 
of  the  descriptions  have  been  based  on  similar  man- 
uals published  by  Massachusetts,  Maine  and  Ver- 
mont. The  cuts,  as  will  be  noted,  have  been  secured 
from  several  sources.  Those  of  the  foliage  and  fruit 
of  many  of  the  hardwoods  and  all  of  the  hardwood 
twigs  are  from  original  drawings  by  Mrs.  A.  E. 
Hoyle,  made  especially  for  this  publication,  and  fur- 
nished free  by  the  U.  S.  Forest  Service.  The  other 
plates  have  been  purchased  or  borrowed.  Special  ac- 
knowledgment is  due  to  Professor  C.  S.  Sargent  for 
figures  illustrating  the  conifers  (pines,  cedars,  etc.) 
which  are  from  his  "Manual  of  Forest  Trees  of 
North  America,"  here  used  by  permission  of  and  by 
special    arrangement   with    Houghton -Mifflin    Com- 


pany ;  and,  to  the  Vermont  Experiment  Station  for  its 
courtesy  in  loaning  a  number  of  these  illustrations. 
The  valuable  and  unstinted  aid  of  Mr.  W.  R.  Mat- 
toon,  Extension  Specialist,  U.  S.  Forest  Service,  is 
hereby  gratfully  acknowledged.  Without  his  initia- 
tive and  guidance  and  that  of  the  Forest  Service, 
the  production  of  this  handbook  at  the  present  time 
would  have  been  well-nigh  impossible. 


The  inclusion  in  this  book  of  the  botanical  or 
scientific  names  of  the  trees  is  thought  advisable  in 
order  to  avoid  the  confusion  likely  to  arise  from  the 
use  of  the  common  names  alone,  which  often  vary 
not  only  in  different  States,  but  even  in  separate 
localities  within  the  same  State. 

A  similar  confusion  has  also  been  observed  in  the 
use  of  the  scientific  names  of  certain  trees  because 
of  the  difficulty  of  knowing  which  tree  the  botanist 
had  in  mind  when  he  gave  it  the  name.  Hence,  the 
practice  has  arisen  of  attaching  the  initials  or  ab- 
breviation of  the  name  of  the  botanist  who  gave  the 
plant  that  particular  scientific  name.  It  seems  wise, 
therefore,  to  follow  the  usual  custom  and  give  in 
full  these  scientific  names  for  the  sake  of  accuracy, 
but  the  general  reader  is  not  urged  to  burden  his 
memory  with  them. 


Trees  are  the  largest  and  oldest  of  living  crea- 
tures. They  are  in  one  way  or  another  perhaps 
more  closely  associated  with  our  own  daily  lives 
than  is  any  other  class  of  living  things,  yet  most  of 
us  know  less  about  them  and  can  hardly  even  tell 
one  of  these  friends  from  anotherJ  It  is  hoped  that 
this  book  will  furnish  information  which  will  enable 
even  the  child  to  know  our  common  trees  at  sight, 
and  will  stimulate  so  great  an  interest  in  the  life 
and  habits  of  these  denizens  of  our  forests  that  all 
North  Carolinians  may  learn  to  appreciate,  foster 
and  protect  the  great  heritage  of  our  trees. 


In  using  this  book  it  should  be  borne  in  mind  that 
nearly  two-thirds  of  the  area  of  our  State  is  still 


>-^^.«§>.^-H  -e>-^^<j^.^  ^6>-#^<5^^  ^>-e^^'&^'e>-M:^ 

classed  as  forest  land ;  that  most  of  this  has  had  the 
greater  part  or  all  of  the  merchantable  timber  cut 
from  it;  and  that  through  destructive  lumbering, 
turpentining,  roving  livestock  and  forest  fires,  this 
timber  has  been  replacing  itself  very  slowly  or  not 
at  all. 

It  should  also  be  remembered  that  a  happy  change 
is  taking  place.  Landowners  are  cutting  more  care- 
fully ;  cattle  and  hogs  have  been  controlled  in  nearly 
all  our  counties;  and  protection  from  fires  is  being 
extended  as  rapidly  as  County,  State  and  Federal 
funds  become  available.  The  chief  thing  lacking 
now  is  the  interest  and  co-operation  of  the  people 
of  the  towns  as  well  as  of  the  country  in  growing 
and  protecting  our  trees  and  forests.  If  this  little 
book  will  bring  about  a  better  understanding  of 
trees  and  a  greater  appreciation  of  their  aesthetic 
and  economic  value  to  us  and  those  who  come  after, 
its  purpose  will  have  been  accomplished. 

Joseph  Hyde  Pratt,  Director 
N.  C.  Geol.  and  Econ.  Survey. 


A  TREE. 

A  tree  is  one  of  nature's  words,  a  word  of  peace  to  man ; 
A  word  that  tells  of  central  strength  from  whence  all  things 

began ; 
A  word  to  preach  tranquillity  to  all  our  restless  clan. 

Ah,  bare  must  be  the  shadeless  ways,  and  bleak  the  path 

must  be, 
Of  him  who,  having  open  eyes,  has  never  learned  to  see, 
And  so  has  never  learned  to  love  the  beauty  of  a  tree. 

Who  loves  a  tree,  he  loves  the  life  that  springs  iu  stars  and 

clod, 
He  loves  the  love  that  gilds  the  clouds,  and  greens  the  April 

sod; 
He  loves  the  Wide  Beneficence;  his  soul  takes  hold  on  Cod. 

— From   "Arhor   and   Bird   Day   Manual   for 
North  Carolina,  1915." 


.  .f^<j5i>-^  -e>  -m-^^^t^' 


.air  TR 


^3>  -^^^X]^-^  -e>  -6^«?:| 


WHITE  PINE   {P'mus  strohus  L.) 

THE  white  pine  occurs  naturally  throuuliout  the 
mountains  and  extends  into  the  adjacent  region. 
It  grows  on  high,  dry,  sandy  and  rocky  ridges,  but 
prefers  the  cooler  or  nioister  situations.  Its  straight 
stem,  regular  pyramidal  shape  and  soft  gray-green 
foliage  make  it  universally  appreciated  as  an  orna- 
mental tree.     Its  rapid  growth  and  hardiness,  and 


the  high  quality  of  the  wood  maho  it  one  of  the  most 
desirable  trees  for  forest  planting. 

The  trunk  is  straight,  and,  when  growing  in  the 
forest,  clear  of  branches  for  many  feet.  The  branches 
extend  horizontally  in  whorls  (i.  e.,  arranged  in  a 
circle  on  the  stem),  marking  the  successive  years 
of  upward  growth.  The  bark  is  thin  and  greenish 
red  on  young  trees,  but  thick,  deeply  furrowed  and 
grayish  brown  on  older  trees.  The  tree  commonly 
attains  heights  of  50  to  60  feet  and  diameters  of 
1  to  2  feet,  though  much  larger  specimens  are  still 
to  be  found. 

The  leaves^  or  needles,  are  3  to  5  inches  in  length, 
bluish  green  on  the  upper  surface  and  whitish  be- 
neath, and  occur  in  bundles  of  5,  which  distinguishes 
it  from  all  other  eastern  pines.  The  cone,  or  fruit, 
is  4  to  6  inches  long,  cylindrical,  with  thin,  usually 
very  gummy  scales,  containing  small,  winged  seeds 
which  require  two  years  to  mature. 

The  wood  is  light,  soft,  not  strong,  light  brown  in 
color,  often  tinged  with  red,  and  easily  worked.  The 
lumber  is  in  large  demand  for  construction  pur- 
poses, box  boards,  matches  and  many  other  products. 


SHORTLEAF  PINE   (Rosemary  Pine) 

{Pinus  echinata  Mill.) 

THE  shortleaf  pine,  also  known  as  rosemary 
piue,  yellow  pine  and  old-field  pine,  is  widely 
distributed  throughout  the  South.  It  is  the  char- 
acteristic pine  over  the  uplands  and  the  lower  moun- 
tain slopes,  where  it  occurs  mixed  with  hardwoods 
and  in  pure  second-growth  stands.  The  young  tree 
in  the  open  has  a  straight  and  somewhat  stout  stem 


fiHORTLEAF  PINE. 
One-half    natural    size, 


with  slightly  ascending  branches.  In  maturity  the 
tree  has  a  tall,  straight  stem  and  an  oval  crown, 
reaching  a  height  of  about  100  feet  and  a  diameter 
of  about  41/^  feet.  The  young  tree,  when  cut  or 
burned  back,  reproduces  itself  by  sprouting  from  the 
stump. 

The  leaves  are  in  clusters  of  two  or  three,  from 
3  to  5  inches  long,  slender,  flexible,  and  dark  blue- 
green.  The  cones,  or  burrs,  are  the  smallest  of  all 
our  pines,  li/^  to  2i^  inches  long,  oblong,  with  small 
sharp  prickles,  generally  clustered,  and  often  hold- 
ing to  the  twigs  for  3  or  4  years.  The  small  seeds  are 
mottled  and  have  a  wing,  which  is  broadest  near 
the  center.  The  bark  is  brownish  red,  broken  into 
rectangular  plates ;  it  is  thinner  and  lighter-colored 
than  that  of  loblolly  pine. 

The  wood  of  old  trees  is  rather  heavy  and  hard, 
of  yellow-brown  or  orange  color,  fine-grained  and 
less  resinous  than  that  of  the  other  important  south- 
ern pines.  It  is  used  largely  for  interior  and  ex- 
terior finishing,  general  construction,  veneers,  paper 
pulp,  excelsior,  cooperage,  mine  props,  and  other  pur- 
poses. 


LOBLOLLY  PINE  (Pniws  factZa  L.) 

A  fast-growing  member  of  the  yellow  pine 
group,  loblolly  pine  is  a  tree  of  the  Coastal 
Plain,  ranging  southward  from  the  southernmost 
county  of  Delaware.  It  is  variously  known  locally 
as  shortleaf  pine,  fox-tail  pine  and  old-field  pine. 
As  the  last  name  implies,  it  seeds  up  abandoned 
fields  rapidly,  particularly  in  sandy  soils  w^here  the 


LOBLOLLY  PINE 
One-half    natural    size. 


water  is  close  to  the  surface.  It  is  also  frequent  in 
clumps  along  the  borders  of  swamps  and  as  scat- 
tered specimens  in  the  swamp  hardwood  forests. 

The  bark  is  dark  in  color  and  deeply  furrowed, 
and  often  attains  a  thickness  of  as  much  as  2  inches 
on  large-sized  trees.  The  leaves,  or  needles,  6  to  9 
inches  long,  are  borne  three  in  a  cluster,  and,  in  the 
spring,  bright  green  clumps  of  them  at  the  ends  of 
branches  give  a  luxuriant  appearance  to  the  tree. 
The  fruit  is  a  cone,  or  burr,  about  3  to  5  inches 
long,  which  ripens  in  the  autumn  of  the  second  year, 
and,  during  fall  and  early  winter,  sheds  many  seeds 
which,  by  their  inch-long  wings,  are  widely  dis- 
tributed by  the  wind. 

The  resinous  wood  is  coarse-grained,  with  marked 
contrast,  as  in  the  other  yellow  pines,  between  the 
bands  of  early  and  late  wood.  The  wood  of  second- 
growth  trees  has  a  wide  range  of  uses  where  dura- 
bility is  not  a  requisite,  such  as  for  building  ma- 
terial, box  shooks,  barrel  staves,  basket  veneers, 
pulpwood,  lath,  mine  pror>«!,  piling  and  fuel. 


s>-?^<J2t>-^  -e>-§t%>-<?^ 


^>-#^<?a 


LONGLEAF  PINE  {Pinus  palustria  MiU.) 

THE  young  longleaf  pine  forms  one  of  the  most 
striking  features  of  the  southern  forest.  When 
5  to  10  years  of  age,  the  single  upright  stem  with 
its  long,  dark,  shiny  leaves,  forms  a  handsome  plume 
of  sparkling  green,  while  in  later  youth  the  stalwart, 
sparingly  branched  sapling,  with  its  heavy  twigs 
and  gray  bark,  attracts  immediate  attention.    The 


older  trees  have  tall,  straight  trunks,  1  to  3  feet  in 
diameter  and  open,  irregular  crowns,  one-third  to 
one-half  the  length  of  the  tree. 

Longleaf  pine  is  confined  to  the  Coastal  Plain 
region.  It  has  been  extensively  logged,  bled  for  tur- 
pentine, repeatedly  burned  and  ranged  over  by  native 
"razor-back"  hogs  until  in  many  sections  it  has  been 
almost  exterminated  or  replaced  by  other  pines. 

The  leaves  are  from  10  to  15  inches  long,  in  clus- 
ters of  3,  and  gathered  toward  the  ends  of  the  thick, 
scaly  twigs.  The  flowers,  appearing  in  early  spring 
before  the  new  leaves,  are  a  deep  rose-purple,  the 
male  in  prominent,  short,  dense  clusters  and  the 
female  in  inconspicuous  grouj)s  of  2  to  4. 

The  cones,  or  burrs,  are  6  to  10  inches  long, 
slightly  curved,  the  thick  scales  armed  with  small 
curved  prickles.  The  cones  usually  fall  soon  after 
the  seeds  ripen,  leaving  their  bases  attached  to  the 
twigs. 

The  wood  is  heavy,  hard,  strong,  tough  and  dura- 
ble. As  Georgia  pine,  pitch  pine  and  southern  pine, 
it  has  been,  and  still  is,  used  for  all  kinds  of  build- 
ing and  other  construction.  Naval  stores,  consist- 
ing of  tar,  pitch,  rosin  and  turpentine,  are  obtained 
almost  exclusively  from  this  tree  and  its  close  rela- 
tive, the  slash  pine,  by  bleeding  the  trees  for  their 
raw  gum. 

8 


PITCH  PINE,  OR  BLACK  PINE 

{Phins  rigida  Mill.) 

THE  pitch  pine  grows  on  dry  ridges  and  slopes 
and  in  cold  swamps  and  bottoms  in  the  mouti- 
tains  and  outlying  hilly  regions  up  to  about  3,500 
feet  elevation.  It  occurs  scattered,  or  in  small 
groups  with  hardwoods  or  other  pines. 

It  attains  a  height  commonly  50  to  75  feet  and 
a  diameter  of  1  to  2  feet.    The  trunk  is  erect,  and 


PITCH  PINE,  OR  BLACK  PINE 
Oiie-balf    natural    size. 


at  heights  of  20  to  30  feet  branches  into  a  close 
head  made  up  of  rather  large  branches  and  notice- 
ably thick  foliage.  It  has  longer  leaves  and  larger 
cones,  or  burrs,  and  generally  a  rougher  and  less 
straight  trunk  than  the  shortleaf  pine  with  which 
it  is  often  found. 

The  leaves,  which  are  found  in  clusters  of  3  each, 
are  3  to  5  inches  long,  stiff,  dark  yellowish  green  in 
color  and  stand  out  straight  from  the  twigs.  They 
fall  during  the  second  year  after  forming.  The  cones 
are  1  to  3  inches  long  and  light  brown  in  color.  They 
usually  cling  to  the  branches  for  several  years, 
sometimes  for  10  to  12  years.  The  bark  on  the  stems 
and  branches  is  rough.  On  mature  trees  it  is  dark 
gray  or  reddish  brown,  and  irregularly  divided  into 
broad,  flat,  continuous  ridges. 

The  wood  is  light,  soft  and  brittle.  It  is  sawed 
into  lumber  for  general  construction  and  is  used 
for  fuel.  This  tree  is  able  to  grow  on  very  poor  soil 
and  has  the  capacity,  when  young,  of  sprouting  suc- 
cessfully from  the  base  of  the  stump  when  burned 
or  cut  back. 


SPRUCE  PINE  (Scrub  Pine) 

{Pinus  virginiana  Mill.) 

THE  spruce  pine,  scrub  or  southern  jack  pine,  is 
found  in  greatest  abundance  over  the  upper  and 
hilly  parts  of  the  State.  It  occurs  often  in  pure 
stands  in  old  fields  and  is  very  persistent  in  gully- 
ing, broken  and  very  dry  soils.  It  is  one  of  our 
slower-growing  pines.  The  side  branches  usually 
persist  for  many  years,  even  after  dying,  thus  giving 

SPRUCE    PINE 
One-half    natural    size. 


a  scrubby  appearance  to  the  tree  which  is  responsi- 
ble for  one  of  its  common  names. 

The  twisted  and  spreading  leaves  are  borne  two 
in  a  cluster.  They  rary  from  li/^  to  3  inches  in 
length,  are  grayish  green  in  color,  and  are  shorter 
than  those  of  any  other  pine  native  to  the  State.  The 
fruit  is  a  cone,  or  burr,  averaging  about  2  inches  in 
length,  narrow,  and  often  slightly  curved,  with  small 
prickles.  Cones  are  produced  almost  every  year, 
and,  as  they  persist  on  the  branches  from  3  to  5 
years,  a  tree  top  with  many  dry,  open  cones  is  char- 
acteristic of  the  species.  The  bark  is  thin,  reddish 
brown,  and  broken  into  shallow  plates.  Even  with 
age,  the  fissures  in  the  bark  are  so  shallow  as  to 
give  a  somewhat  smooth  appearance  to  the  trunk  of 
the  tree. 

Except  in  the  occasional  large-sized  trees,  the 
wood  is  very  knotty  because  of  the  persistence  of 
the  side  branches.  It  is  light  and  soft,  but  fairly  dur- 
able in  contact  with  the  soil,  so  that  it  is  being  used 
to  some  extent  for  posts,  poles  and  piling.  The  lum- 
ber is  increasingly  used  for  rough  construction,  but 
it  warps  easily  with  alternate  wetting  and  drying. 
It  is  much  used  for  paper  pulp  and  firewood. 

10 


p^an<BmT  t Rises 

POND  PINE  (Pmws  serotina  Michx.) 

THE  pond  pine,  also  known  as  pocosin  pine,  bay 
pine  or  black-bark  pine,  is  found  in  small  swamps 
and  on  flat,  undrained,  poor,  sandy,  or  low,  peaty 
soils  of  the  Coastal  Plain.  It  averages  40  to  70  feet 
in  height  and  1  to  2  feet  in  diameter.  The  trunk 
is  often  slightly  crooked  and  somewhat  rough  with 
knots  or  bulges.   The  tree  somewhat  resembles  lob- 


POND   PINE 
One -half    natural    8ize. 


l«bby  pine,  but  can  be  distinguished  most  easily  by 
the  broader  and  shorter  cones,  and  its  location  gen- 
erally on  wet  or  very  sour  lands. 

The  leaves  occur  in  clusters  of  3,  or  occasionally 
4,  and  range  in  length  from  5  to  8  inches.  They 
persist  on  the  branches  for  3  to  4  years.  The  cones, 
or  burrs,  when  open  are  noticeably  globular  in  out- 
line, somewhat  flattened,  2  to  2i/2  inches  long.  Like 
all  pines,  they  require  two  seasons  for  ripening,  but 
remain  closed  for  1  to  2  years  afterward,  and  per- 
sist on  the  branches  for  several  years, 
I  The  bark  is  dark  red-brown  and  irregularly  di- 
vided by  shallow  furrows. 

The  wood  is  resinous,  heavy,  often  coarse-grained, 
orange-colored,  wath  pale  yellowish,  wide  sapwood. 
It  is  sawed  and  sold  without  discrimination  along 
with  lumber  of  other  southern  pines.  In  the  earlier 
days  of  lumbering  this  pine  was  not  much  used  for 
lumber.  It  is  one  of  the  few  species  of  pine  which, 
following  cutting  or  killing-back  by  fire,  sprouts 
frem  the  stumps  of  young  vigorous  saplings. 

11 


TABLE  MOUNTAIN  PINE 

{Pinus  pmigens  Lambert.) 

THE  table  mountain  pine,  for  which  mountain 
pine  is  suggested  as  being  a  more  appropriate 
name,  is  a  rather  small  tree,  20  to  60  feet  high,  with 
an  average  diameter  of  1  to  2  feet.  It  occurs  scat 
tared  sparingly  through  the  higher  Appalachian 
Mountains  on  the  drier  slopes  and  ridges  and  asso- 
ciated with  the  black  or  pitch  pine. 


TABLE  MOUNTAIN  PINK 
One-half    natural    size. 


The  bark  of  the  trunk  is  lighter-colored  than  that 
of  the  black  pine,  but  the  bark  of  the  small  branches 
is  broken  into  thin  loose  scales. 

The  leaves  are  short,  2  to  4  inches  long,  in  clus- 
ters of  two,  rarely  of  three,  bluish  green,  stiff,  stout 
and  more  or  less  twisted,  persisting  for  2  to  3  years. 
The  flowers  are  of  two  kinds  on  the  same  tree,  the 
male  in  long  loose  clusters  on  the  old  twig,  the 
female  in  whorls  of  2  to  7  on  the  new  growth. 

This  pine  can  readily  be  distinguished  by  its 
heavy  massive  cones,  2  to  3  inches  long,  with  very 
stout  curved  prickles,  which  occur  usually  in  close 
groups  around  the  twigs.  The  cones  open  when  ripe 
and  shed  their  seed  gradually,  but  the  empty  cones 
remain  on  the  tree  often  for  many  years. 

The  wood  is  soft,  light,  not  strong,  resinous  and 
coarse-grained.  Along  with  associated  species  it  is 
sometimes  cut  for  rough  lumber,  and  in  other  places 
for  charcoal,  but  its  chief  value  is  for  fuelwosd. 

12 


.<^^ 


-e>  -^^-cs^-^s  ^>  'm=><i^' 


RED  SPRUCE  {Picea  rubra  Dietr.) 


TKE  red  spruce  is  found  on  the  summits  and 
upper  slopes  of  our  highest  mountains  where  it 
grows  on  well-drained  but  moist  and  rocky  soil,  at 
elevations  of  4,000  to  6,700  feet.  Here  it  naturally 
combined  with  the  southern  balsam  to  form  dense 
forests,  which  unfortunately  have  been  largely  de- 
stroyed in  recent  years. 


RED    SPRUCE 

One-half    natural    size. 


The  red  spruce  is  narrowly  conical  in  outline.  It 
Is  a  medium-sized  tree,  commonly  reaching  a  height 
of  60  to  80  feet  and  a  diameter  of  1  to  2  feet.  The 
trunk  is  straight  and  tapers  gradually.  The  branches 
are  somewhat  drooping  below,  horizontal  in  the  mid- 
dle, ascending  above,  and  are  very  persistent  even 
in  a  dense  stand. 

The  leaves  are  linear,  four-sided,  about  one-half 
inch  long,  sharp-pointed,  dark  yellow-green  and 
glossy.  They  grow  from  all  sides  of  the  twigs.  The 
flowers  are  of  two  kinds  on  the  same  tree  and 
mature  in  one  season.  The  cones,  or  burrs,  are 
oblong,  1  to  2  inches  long,  with  thin  reddish  brown 
F.cales.  Unlike  those  of  the  balsam,  the  cones  of  the 
spruce  hang  down  and  soon  after  the  seeds  are  scat- 
tered they  fall  without  breaking  apart. 

The  wood  is  light  and  moderately  soft  but  strong 
and  elastic.  It  is  in  great  demand  for  special  con- 
struction purposes  and  newspaper  pulp.  Its  com- 
bined elasticity  and  strength  lit  it  admirably  for  use 
in  making  musical  instruments  and  airplanes. 

13 


.e> -^--^^?^-^  -e>-^^<j?^-^  -e>-*^o3^-s  -^-^^-^j^-s  -o 

HEMLOCK  {Tsuga  canadensis  Carr.) 

THE  hemlock,  sometimes  known  as  hemlock 
spruce  or  spruce  pine,  is  a  large  timber  tree, 
attaining  a  height  of  00  to  100  feet  and  a  diameter 
of  2  to  4  feet.  It  is  common  along  streams  and  on 
cool  slopes  throughout  the  mountains  and  extends 
somewhat  into  the  adjoining  regions.  Its  horizontal 
or  ascending  branches  and  drooping  twigs,  forming 


a  pyramidal  crown,  make  it  one  of  our  handsomest 
and  most  desirable  trees  for  shade  and  ornament. 

The  leaves  are  from  one-third  to  two-thirds  of  an 
inch  in  length,  oblong,  dark  green  and  lustrous  on 
the  upper  surface  and  whitish  beneath,  and,  although 
spirally  arranged,  appear  to  be  2-ranked  on  the 
stem ;  they  fall  during  the  third  season.  The  cones 
are  oblong,  about  three-fourths  of  an  inch  long,  light 
brown  in  color.  The  cone  scales  are  broadly  ovate 
and  about  as  wide  as  they  are  long.  The  seed  is 
small  and  winged,  maturing  in  the  fall  and  dropping 
during  the  winter. 

The  wood  is  light,  soft,  not  strong,  brittle  and 
splintery.  It  is  used  for  coarse  lumber  and  for  paper 
pulp.  The  bark  on  old  trunks  is  cinnamon-red  or 
dark  gray  and  divided  into  narrow,  rounded  ridges, 
and  is  one  of  our  chief  sources  of  tannin. 


The  Carolina  hemlock  {Tsuga  caroliniana  En- 
gelm.)  differs  from  the  above  by  having  its  leaves 
not  conspicuously  2-ranked  on  the  twigs  but  point- 
ing in  all  directions,  giving  the  tree  a  rough  appear- 
ance; while  the  cone  scales  are  narrow  oval,  much 
longer  than  they  are  wide.  It  grows  on  dry,  rocky 
ridges  and  cliffs  along  the  Blue  Ridge  and  in  north- 
eastern Tennessee.  It  is  a  very  desirable  tree  for 
ornamental  planting. 

14 


^<!^- 


o 


-^■mk=><^^- 


■•m=><^- 


SOUTHERN  BALSAM  (Southern  Balsam  Fir) 

(Ahics  frasrrl  Poir.) 

THE  southern  balsam,  also  known  as  mountain 
balsam,  Fraser  fir,  and  locally  as  slie-balsam,  is 
found  on  our  highest  mountains,  usually  associated 
with  red  spruce,  from  which  it  can  easily  be  dis- 
tinguished by  its  cones  and  leaves.  It  prefers  moist, 
cool  slopes  at  elevations  of  4,000  to  0,700  feet.  It  is 
a  tree  of  medium  size,  40  to  70  feet  high  and  1  to 


SOUTHERN    BALSAM 
One-half  natural  size. 


•ver  2  feet  in  diameter.  The  bark  on  the  younger 
trees  is  pale  gray,  smooth,  thin  and  prominently 
marked  by  "blisters"  filled  with  resin  or  balsam. 
The  branches  are  produced  regularly  in  whorls  on 
the  young  tree,  and  the  head  retains  its  pointed 
pyramidal  shape  until  old  age. 

The  leaves  are  flat,  linear,  one-half  to  one  inch 
long,  with  point  rounded  and  often  notched,  dark 
green  and  lustrous  above,  silvery  white  beneath,  ar- 
ranged on  the  twig  apparently  in  two  ranks. 

The  flowers  are  of  two  kinds,  the  male  yellow 
tinged  with  red,  the  female  cone-shaped,  and  the 
prominent  yellow-green  bracts  are  spine-tipped.  The 
fruit  is  an  upright  purple  cone,  the  long  yellow- 
green  bracts,  however,  often  making  it  appear  this 
latter  color.  The  seeds  have  very  Avide  wings,  and 
when  ripe,  fall  together  with  the  scales  and  bracts 
of  the  cone,  leaving  the  hard  central  axis  standing 
upright  on  the  twig. 

The  wood  is  light,  soft,  not  strong,  coarse-grained. 
It  is  used  for  construction  lumber  and  with  spruce 
for  paper  pulp 


T 


CYPRESS  {Tawodium  distichum  Eich.) 

HE  cypress,  or  bald  cypress,  is  a  tree  found 
exclusively  in  deep  swamps  which  are  usually 
flooded  for  long  periods  at  a  time,  aud  on  wet  stream 
banks  and  bottomlands  in  the  lower  Atlantic 
Coastal  Plain  and  Mississippi  Valley  region.  Its 
straight  trunk  with  numerous  ascending  branches, 
and  narrow  conical  outline  makes  the  tree  one  of 


CTPKESS 
One-half  natural  size. 


considerable  beauty.  In  old  age,  the  tree  generally 
has  a  broad  fluted  or  buttressed  base,  a  smooth 
slowly  tapering  trunk  and  a  broad,  open,  flat  top  of 
a  few  heavy  branches  and  numerous  small  branch- 
lets.  The  original-growth  timber  attained  heights 
of  80  to  130  feet  and  diameters  of  5  to  10  feet. 

The  bark  is  silvery  to  cinnamon-red  and  finely 
divided  b}'  numerous  longitudinal  fissures.  The 
leaves  are  about  one-half  to  three-fourths  of  an  inch 
in  length,  arranged  in  feather-like  fashion  along  two 
sides  of  small  branchlets,  which  fall  in  the  autumn 
with  the  leaves  still  attached ;  or  they  are  scale-like 
and  much  shorter,  light  green,  and  sometimes  silvery 
below. 

The  fruit  is  a  rounded  cone,  or  "ball,"  about  one 
inch  in  diameter,  consisting  of  thick  irregular  scales. 

The  wood  is  light,  soft,  easily  worked,  varies  in 
color  from  a  light  sapwood  to  dark-brown  heart- 
wood,  and  is  particularly  durable  in  contact  with 
the  soil.  Hence  it  is  in  demand  for  exterior  trim 
of  buildings,  greenhouse  planking,  boat  and  ship 
building,  shingles,  posts,  poles  and  crossties. 

16 


WHITE  CEDAR  (Juniper) 

(Ghamaccyparis  thyoidcs  B.  S.  P.) 

EXCLUSIVELY  a  tree  of  the  Coastal  Plain,  it  is 
found  in  year-round  swamps  from  New  England 
{southward  to  Florida  and  Mississippi.  It  occurs 
with  bald  cypress  and  deep  swamp  hardwoods,  but 
more  often  is  found  in  pure  stands  called  ''glades," 
Avhere  the  smooth,  clean  trunks  are  so  closely  set  as 
to  give  the  impression  of  "serried   ranks."     The 


WHITE    CEDAR 
One-half  natural  size. 


branches  are  very  short  and  horizontal,  so  that  even 
w^hen  grown  in  the  open  the  tree  has  a  long,  narrow, 
conical  shape. 

The  leaves  are  minute,  scale-like,  overlapping,  4- 
ranked,  of  a  bluish  green  color,  and  entirely  cover 
the  ends  of  the  slender,  drooping  twigs.  The  fruit 
is  a  rather  inconspicuous,  smooth  cone,  nearly 
round,  about  one-fourth  inch  in  diameter,  maturing 
in  one  year  and  containing  from  four  to  eight 
winged  seeds. 

The  bark  is  quite  thin,  varies  in  color  from  ashy 
gray  to  light  reddish  brown,  and  readily  separates 
into  loose  plate-like  scales,  Avhich  easily  peel  off  in 
long  fibrous  strips.  The  wood  is  light,  soft,  close- 
grained,  slightly  fragrant,  especially  in  contact  with 
water.  These  qualities  make  it  in  demand  for  boat 
and  canoe  building,  cooperage,  shingles  and  fence 
posts.  It  is  being  substituted  for  chestnut  for  tele- 
phone poles,  as  the  supply  of  the  latter  species  be- 
comes scarcer.  Because  of  the  limited  supply  avail- 
able, its  lumber  is  not  well  known  in  the  general 
markets. 

17 


RED  CEDAR  {Juniperus  virginiana  L.) 

AVERY  valuable  tree  found  in  all  classes  and 
conditions  of  soils — from  swamp  to  dry  rocky 
ridges — seeming  to  thrive  on  barren  soils  where  few 
other  trees  are  found.  It  is  scattered  throughout 
the  State  except  in  the  high  mountains,  but  it  is 
most  important  in  the  middle  section. 

There  are  two  kinds  of  leaves^  usually  both  kinds 
being  found  on  the  same  tree.    The  commoner  kind 


is  dark  green,  minute  and  scale-like,  clasping  the 
stem  in  four  ranks,  so  that  the  stems  appear  square. 
The  other  kind,  usually  appearing  on  young  growth 
or  vigorous  shoots,  is  awl-shaped,  quite  sharp- 
pointed,  spreading  and  whitened. 

The  two  kinds  of  flowers  are  at  the  end  of  minute 
twigs  on  separate  trees.  Blooming  in  February  or 
March,  the  male  trees  often  assume  a  golden  color 
from  the  small  catkins,  which,  when  shaken,  shed 
clouds  of  yellow  pollen.  The  fruit,  which  matures 
in  one  season,  is  pale  blue,  often  with  a  white  bloom, 
one-quarter  of  an  inch  in  diameter,  berry-like,  enclos- 
ing one  or  two  seeds  in  the  sweet  flesh.  It  is  a 
favorite  winter  food  for  birds. 

The  bark  is  very  thin,  reddish  brown,  peeling  off 
in  long,  shred-like  strips.  The  tree  is  extremely 
irregular  in  its  growth,  so  that  the  trunk  is  usually 
more  or  less  grooved. 

The  heart  wood  is  distinctly  red,  and  the  sapwood 
white,  this  color  combination  making  very  striking 
effects  when  linished  as  cedar  chests,  closets  and 
interior  woodwork.  The  wood  is  aromatic,  soft, 
strong  and  of  even  texture,  and  these  qualites  make 
it  most  desirable  for  lead  pencils.  It  is  very  dura- 
ble in  contact  with  the  soil,  and  on  that  account  is  in 
great  demand  for  posts,  poles  and  rustic  work. 

18 


.<f$^-<e  -e>  -5'^-^-^ 


•^>-;^^<2?:|>- 


WHITE  WALNUT,  OR  BUTTERNUT 

{Juglans  cinerca  L.) 

THE  white  walnTit,  usually  called  butternut  in 
tlie  North,  is  a  smaller  tree  than  the  black  wal- 
nut, though  in  the  highlands  and  where  it  attains 
its  best  development,  it  reaches  a  height  of  70  feet 
and  a  diameter  of  3  feet.  The  trunk  is  usually 
forked  or  crooked,  and  this  makes  it  less  desirable 
for  saw  timber.    The  bark  differs  from  that  of  the 


WHITE  WALNUT,   OR  BUTTERNUT 
Twig,  one-half  natural  size.  Leaf,  one-third    natural  size 

black  walnut  in  being  light  gray  on  branches  and 
on  the  trunk  of  small  trees,  becoming  darker  on 
large  trees.  This  tree  may  also  be  distinguished 
from  black  walnut  by  the  velvet  collars  just  above 
the  scars  left  by  last  year's  leaves. 

The  compound  leaves  are  15  to  30  inches  long, 
each  with  11  to  17  sharp-pointed,  oblong,  finely 
toothed  leaflets  2  to  3  inches  long. 

The  flowers  are  of  two  kinds  on  the  same  tree, 
the  male  in  long  yellow-green  drooping  catkins, 
the  female  recognized  by  the  rather  conspicuous 
red-fringed  stigmas.  The  fruit  is  a  nut  enclosed  in 
an  oblong,  somewhat  pointed,  yellowish  green  husk, 
about  2  inches  long,  which  is  covered  with  short 
rusty,  clammy,  sticky  hairs.  The  nut  has  a  rough, 
grooved  shell  and  an  oily,  edible  kernel. 

The  wood  is  light,  soft,  not  strong,  coarse-grained, 
light  brown,  and  takes  a  good  polish.  It  is  used  for 
interior  finish  of  houses  and  for  furniture.  A  yellow 
or  orange  dye  can  be  made  from  the  husks  of  the 
nuts. 

19 


-^§^<J5t>-^  "-e> -^-%=<o<Jt>- 


•^>-^%><^ 


BLACK  WALNUT   {Juglans  nigra  L.) 

TniS  valuable  forest  tree  occurs  on  rich  bottom- 
lauds  and  moist  fertile  hillsides  throughout  the 
Slate.  In  the  forest,  where  it  grows  singly,  it  fre- 
quently attains  a  height  of  100  feet  with  a  straight 
stem,  clear  of  branches  for  half  its  height.  In 
open-grown  trees  the  stem  is  short  and  the  crown 
'oroad  and  spreading. 


BLACK  w 

Leaf,   onp-fifth    n<; 

Twig,  three-quarters 


The  leaves  are  alternate,  compound,  1  to  2  feet 
long,  consisting  of  from  15  to  23  leaflets  of  a  yel- 
lowish green  color.  The  leaflets  are  about  3  inches 
long,  extremely  tapering  at  the  end,  and  toothed 
along  the  margin.  The  bark  is  thick,  dark  brown 
in  color,  and  divided  by  rather  deep  fissures  into 
rounded  ridges. 

The  fruit  is  a  nut,  borne  singly  or  in  pairs,  and 
enclosed  in  a  solid  green  husk  which  does  not  split 
open,  even  after  the  nut  is  ripe.  The  nut  itself  is 
black  with  a  very  hard,  thick,  finely  ridged  shell, 
enclosing  a  rich,  oily  kernel  edible  and  highly  nu- 
tritious. 

The  heartwood  is  of  superior  quality  and  value. 
It  is  heavy,  hard  and  strong,  and  its  rich  chocolate- 
brown  color,  freedom  from  warping  and  checking, 
susceptibility  to  a  high  polish,  and  durability  make 
it  highly  prized  for  a  great  variety  of  uses,  including 
furniture  and  cabinet  work,  gun-stocks,  and  air- 
plane propellers.  Small  trees  are  mostly  sapwood, 
which  is  light  colored  and  not  durable.  Walnut 
is  easily  propagated  from  the  nuts  and  grows 
rapidly  on  good  soil,  where  it  should  be  planted 
and  grown  for  timber  and  nuts, 

20 


^<J$t>-.s  ■^>i-^o^^. 


-e> -«^€%=><5^- 


BITTERNUT  HICKORY 


(Ilicoria  minima  Britton) 
{Carya  cordiformis  K.  Koch) 

THE  bitternut  hickory  is  a  tall  slender  tree  with 
broadly  pyramidal  crown,  attaining  a  height  of 
100  feet  and  a  diameter  of  2  to  3  feet.  It  is  found 
throughout  the  State  on  moist  rich  soils,  but  is 
nowhere  very  abundant. 

The  bark  on  the  trunk  is  granite-gray,   faintly 
tinged  with  yellow  and  less  rough  than  in  most  of 


Twig,  one-half 
natural   size. 


BITTERNUT    HICKORY. 
Leaf,    one-third    natural    size. 


the  hickories,  yet  broken  into  thin,  plate-like  scales. 
The  winter  buds  are  compressed,  scurfy,  bright  yel- 
low, quite  different  from  those  of  its  relatives. 

The  leaves  are  alternate,  compound,  from  6  to  10 
inches  long,  and  composed  of  from  7  to  11  leaflets. 
The  individual  leaflets  are  smaller  and  more  slender 
than  those  of  the  other  hickories. 

The  flowers  are  of  two  kinds  on  the  same  tree. 
The  fruit  is  about  1  inch  long  and  thin-husked, 
while  the  nut  is  usually  thin-shelled  and  brittle,  and 
the  kernel  very  bitter. 

The  wood  is  hard,  strong  and  hea\7,  reddish 
brown  in  color.  From  this  last  fact  it  gets  its  local 
name  of  red  hickory.  It  is  said  to  be  somewhat  in- 
ferior to  the  other  hickories,  but  is  used  for  the  same 
purposes. 


■f^<T<St>-^  -Q>-^^^'^' 


T 


"TRESES 


^>-^^<Q^ 


SCALY-BARK  OR  SHELL-BARK  HICKORY 

{Hicoria  ovata  Britton)         {Carya  ovata  K.  Koch) 

THE  scaly-bark  hickory  is  known  by  every  child 
of  the  community  because  of  its  sweet  and  de- 
licious nuts.  It  is  a  large  commercial  tree,  aver- 
aging 00  to  100  feet  high  and  1  to  2  feet  in  diameter. 
It  thrives  best  on  rich,  damp  soil  and  is  common 
along  streams  and  on  moist  hillsides  throughout 
the  State. 


Leaf,    one-third 
natural    size. 


SCALY  BARK   HICKORY 

Twig,  one-half  natural  size. 


The  bark  of  the  trunk  is  rougher  than  on  other 
hickories,  light  gray  and  separating  into  thick  plates 
which  are  only  slightly  attached  to  the  tree.  The 
terminal  winter  buds  are  egg-shaped,  the  outer  bud- 
scales  having  narrow  tips. 

The  leaves  are  alternate,  compound,  from  8  to  15 
inches  long  and  composed  of  5,  rarely  7  obovate 
to  ovate  leaflets.  The  twigs  are  smooth  or  clothed 
with  short  hairs. 

The  fruit  is  borne  singly  or  in  pairs,  and  is  globu- 
lar. The  husk  is  thick  and  deeply  grooved  at  the 
seams.  The  nut  is  much  compressed  and  pale,  the 
shell  thin,  and  the  kernel  sweet.  The  flowers  are  of 
two  kinds,  opening  after  the  leaves  have  attained 
nearly  their  full  size. 

The  wood  is  heavy,  hard,  tough  and  very  strong. 
It  is  used  largely  in  the  manufacture  of  agricultural 
implements  and  tool  handles,  and  in  the  building  of 
carriages  and  wagons.  For  fuel  the  hickories  are  the 
most  satisfactory  of  our  native  trees. 


22 


-#^<^-^  -o  -m^^i^' 


ST  TR 


^>  -#^-05^-^  -e>  -e^<^- 


WHITEHEART  OR  WHITE  HICKORY 
(Mockernut  Hickory) 

(Hicoria  alba  Britton)       {Carya  alba  K.  Koch) 

THE  white  hickory,  whiteheart,  mockernut,  or 
big-bud  hickory  is  common  on  well-drained  soils 
throughout  the  State.  It  is  a  tall,  short-limbed  tree 
averaging  60  feet  high  and  1  to  2  feet  in  diameter. 

The  bark  is  dark  gray,  hard,  closely  and  deeply 
furrowed,  often  apparently  cross-furrowed  or  netted. 
The  winter  buds  are  large,  round  or  broadly  egg- 
shaped,  and 
covered  with 
downy,     hard 

WIIITEHEAKT 
OK  WHITE 
HICKORY 

Leaf,   one-fifth 
natural   size. 


scales.  The  recent  shoots  are  short,  stout  and  more 
or  less  covered  with  a  downy  growth. 

The  leaves  are  large,  strong-scented  and  hairy, 
composed  of  7  to  9  obovate  to  oblong,  pointed  leaf- 
lets which  turn  a  beautiful  yellow  in  the  fall. 

The  flowers,  like  those  of  all  other  hickories,  are 
of  two  kinds  on  the  same  tree ;  the  male  in  three- 
branched  catkins,  the  female  in  clusters  of  2  to  5. 
The  fruit  is  oval,  nearly  round  or  slightly  pear- 
shaped  with  a  very  thick,  strong-scented  husk  which 
splits  nearly  to  the  base  when  ripe.  The  nut  is  of 
various  forms,  but  is  sometimes  4  to  6  ridged,  light 
brown,  and  has  a  very  thick  shell  and  small,  sweet 
kernel. 

The  wood  is  heavy,  hard,  tough  and  strong;  it  is 
white  excepting  the  comparatively  small,  dark- 
brown  heart,  hence  the  name  white  hickory.  It  is 
used  for  vehicle  parts,  handles  and  picker-sticks.  It 
furnishes  the  best  of  fuel.  This  and  the  other 
hickories  are  very  desirable  both  for  forest  and 
shade  trees. 


23 


2>.#^<fc?^.^ -e> 


^•m^<^ 


PIGNUT  HICKORY 


{Hicoria  glabra  Britton)      (Carya  glabra    Sweet) 

THE  pignut  hickory  is  a  medium  to  large  upland 
tree,  occurring  plentifully  on  poor  soil  in  the 
middle  section  and  less  frequently  in  the  other  parts 
of  the  State.  It  has  a  tapering  trunk  and  a  narrow 
oval  head. 

The  bark  is  close,  ridged  and  grayish,  but  oc- 
casionally rough  and  flaky.  The  twigs  are  thin, 
smooth  and  glossy  brown.  The  polished  brown  win- 
ter buds  are  egg- 
shaped,  the  outer 
reddish  brown 
scales  falling  in 
the  autumn. 

11 


PIGNUT  HICKORY  Twig,   one-half 

one-third    natural    size.         natural  size. 


The  leaves  are  smooth,  8  to  12  inches  long  and 
composed  of  5  t®  7  leaflets.  The  individual  leaflets 
are  rather  small  and  narrow. 

The  fruit  is  pear-shaped  or  rounded,  usually  with 
a  neck  at  the  base,  very  thin  husks  splitting  only 
half  way  to  the  base  or  not  at  all.  The  nut  is  smooth, 
light  brown  in  color,  rather  thick-shelled,  and  has  an 
edible  kernel. 

The  wood  is  heavy,  hard,  strong,  tough  and  flexi- 
ble. Its  uses  are  the  same  as  those  of  the  other 
hickories. 

The  small-fruited  hickory  {Gary a  microcarpa 
Nutt.),  by  some  considered  a  variety  of  the  pignut 
hickory,  differs  from  it  in  having  a  round  fruit  and 
a  bark  which  frequently  separates  into  narrow 
plates. 

The  pale-leaved  hickory  {Gary a  pallida  Ashe) 
is  found  scatteringly  in  the  upland  woods.  It  has 
pale,  delicate  foliage.  The  leaves  are  woolly  or 
hairy  underneath,  and  when  young  are  covered  with 
(silvery  scales.  The  husks  are  thicker  than  those  of 
the  pignut. 


m-^<^-- 


BLACK  WILLOW    (Salix  nigra  Marsh.) 

THE  black  willow  is  common  along  streams 
throughout  the  State  except  in  the  high  moun- 
tains. It  rarely  comes  to  be  over  50  feet  in  height 
and  is  frequently  found  growing  singly  or  in  chimps 
ah)ug  tlie  water  courses.  In  winter  the  easily  sepa- 
rable, bright  reddish-brown  or  golden,  naked  twigs 
are  quite  conspicuous. 

The  leaves  are  from  3  to  6 
inches  long  and  less  than  one- 
half  an  inch  wide;  the  tips  are 
very  much  tapered  and  the  en- 
tire margins  finely  toothed. 
The  leaves  are  bright  green  on 
both  sides,  turning  pale  yellow 
in  the  early  autumn. 

The  flowers  are  in  catkins, 
the  male  and  female  on  sepa- 
rate trees.     The  fruit  is  a  pod 
bearing  numerous  minute  seeds 
which     are     furnished 
with  long  silky  down, 
enabling    them    to    be 
blown  long  distances. 

The  bark  is  deeply  di- 
vided into  broad,  flat 
ridges  which  separate 
into  thick  plate-like 
scales.  On  old  trees  it 
becomes  very  shaggy. 
In  color  it  varies  from 
light  brown  tinged 
with  orange  to  dark 
brown  or  nearly  bhick. 
The  wood  is  soft,  light  and  not  strong.  A  high 
grade  of  charcoal,  used  in  the  manufacture  of  gun- 
powder, is  obtained  from  willow  wood,  and  it  is 
the  chief  wood  used  in  the  manufacture  of  artificial 
limbs. 

There  are  many  species,  or  kinds,  of  willows  not 
easily  distinguished.  They  are  of  high  value  in 
checking  soil  erosion  and  Avaste  along  stream  banks, 
for  which  purpose  they  should  be  more  extensively 
grown. 


BLACK  WILLOW 

Two-thirds  natural  size. 


s>  -^^-c^^s-s  -&  -mx^' 


-€> 


SWAMP  COTTONWOOD 

{Populus  lieterophylla  L.) 

THIS  is  a  tree  of  low,  wet  swamps  and  the  borders 
of  rivers,  in  the  Atlantic  coastal  and  Mississippi 
A'alley  regions.  The  seeds  are  carried  far  by  winds 
and  germinate  on  wet  sandy  soils.  The  tree  attains 
a  height  of  70  to  90  feet  and  a  diameter  of  I?  feet. 
The  branches  are  usually  short,  forming  a  narrow, 
round-topped  head,  and  the  buds  are  resinous. 


SWAMP  COTTONWOOD. 
Twig,  three-quarters  natural  size. 
Leaf,  oue-half  natural  size. 


The  leaves  are  broadly  ovate,  3  to  6  inches  wide 
and  4  to  7  inches  long,  gradually  narrowed  at  the 
tip  and  slightly  rounded  toward  the  base,  usually 
finely  toothed  along  the  edges,  dark  green  above, 
pale  and  smooth  below ;  on  rounded  leaf -stems  from 
2  to  3  inches  long. 

The  flowers,  which  bloom  in  early  spring,  are  in 
catkins,  the  female  catkins  few-flowered.  The  fruit, 
containing  the  tiny  seeds  supported  by  "cotton,"  is 
borne  on  female,  or  pistillate,  trees,  and  the  male, 
or  staminate,  flowers  occur  separately  on  other  trees. 
The  fruit  ripens  before  the  leaves  are  fully  grown. 

The  wood  is  light  and  soft  and,  as  lumber,  re- 
quires special  attention  in  drying  to  prevent  its 
warping  badly.  It  makes  excellent  paper  pulp  for 
printing  half-tone  illustrations. 

The  European  white  poplar  {Populus  alba  L.) 
with  light-gray  bark  and  leaves,  white  woolly  be- 
neath, is  often  found  near  old  houses  and  along 
roadsides.  The  Lombardy  poplar,  a  tall  narrow 
form  of  the  European  black  poplar  {Populus  nigra 
var.  italica  Du  Koi)  is  often  planted  and  is  a  strik- 
ing tree  for  the  roadside. 


CAROLINA  POPLAR  (Cottonwood) 

{Populus  deltoides  Marsh.) 

THE  Cottonwood,  or  Carolina  poplar,  is  scattered 
v\adely  but  nowhere  occurs  in  great  abundance; 
it  does  not  grow  naturally  in  the  mountains.  The 
tree  is  easily  propagated  by  cuttings  and  grows 
rapidly,  hence  it  has  been  widely  planted  to  get 
shade  quickly.  For  this  purpose,  however,  the  tree  is 
unsatisfactory,  because  it  begins  to  shed  the  leaves 


CAROLINA  POPLAR 

Leaf,  one-half  natural  size.  Twig,  one-third  natural  size. 

by  midsummer,  the  "cotton"  from  the  female,  or 
seed-bearing,  tree  is  often  a  nuisance,  the  soft  wood 
is  easily  broken  by  winds,  and  the  rank  growth  of  the 
roots  often  results  in  stopping  drain  pipes  and 
cracking  and  lifting  sidewalks. 

The  leaves  are  simple,  alternate,  broadly  ovate 
or  triangular,  pointed,  square  at  the  base,  and 
coarsely  toothed  no  the  edges,  3  to  5  inches  across 
each  way,  covered  with  soft  white  hairs  on  the  under 
side,  supported  by  flattened  slender  stems,  2  to  ;> 
inches  long.  The  winter  buds  are  covered  with 
chestnut-brown,  resinous  scales.  The  flowers  are  in 
catkins  of  two  kinds,  male  and  female,  and  appear 
before  the  leaves.  The  fruit  containing  the  seed  has 
a  cluster  of  white  silky  hairs,  which  carries  it  for 
long  distances. 

The  wood  is  soft,  light-weight,  warps  easily  upon 
drying,  but  is  used  for  many  purposes,  sometimes  as 
a  substitute  for  yellow  poplar  and  linden.  It  makes 
the  highest  grade  of  gloss  magazine  paper  for  the 
printing  of  half-tone  illustrations. 

27 


'f%.<!5^>-^  •€>-§€%><:3^-S  -«>-;J^<K^-^  ^>.^^<<J:^:^  -e>^^<^ 

RIVER  BIRCH  (Red  Birch)   {Betula  nigra  L.) 

THIS  is  the  only  native  birch  found  at  low  eleva- 
tions in  the  South.  It  is  at  home,  as  the  name  im- 
plies, along  water  courses,  and  inhabits  the  deep, 
rich  soils  along  the  borders  of  streams,  ponds,  lakes, 
and  swamps  which  are  sometimes  inundated  for 
weeks  at  a  time. 

The  bark  provides  a  ready  means  of  distinguish- 
ing this  tree.  It  varies  from  reddish  brown  to  cinna- 


RIVER     BIRCH 

One-third   natural   size. 

mon-red  in  color,  and  peels  back  in  tough  papery 
layers.  These  layers  persist  on  the  trunk,  present- 
ing a  very  ragged  and  quite  distinctive  appearance. 
Unlike  the  bark  of  our  other  birches,  the  thin  papery 
layers  are  usually  covered  with  a  gray  powder.  On 
older  trunks,  the  bark  on  the  main  trunk  becomes 
thick,  deeply  furrowed,  and  of  a  reddish-brown 
color. 

The  leaves  are  simjile,  alternate,  2  to  3  inches 
long,  more  or  less  oval  in  shape,  with  double-toothed 
edges.  The  upper  surface  is  dark  green  and  the 
lower  a  pale  yellowish  green. 

The  flowers  are  in  catkins,  the  two  kinds  grow- 
ing on  the  same  tree.  The  fruit  is  cone-shaped 
about  1  inch  long,  and  densely  crowded  with  little 
winged  nutlets  that  ripen  from  May  to  June. 

The  wood  is  strong  and  fairly  close-grained.  It 
has  been  to  some  extent  used  in  the  manufacture 
of  woodenware,  in  turnery  and  for  wagon  hubs. 
Since,  however,  this  tree  is  scattered  in  its  distribu- 
tion and  mostly  confined  to  the  banks  of  streams,  it 
does  not  figure  largely  in  commercial  lumbering, 
but  is  cut  chiefly  for  firewood. 

28 


-e>-#a-<^*' 


YELLOW  BIRCH    {Betula  liitea  Michx.) 

THE  yellow  birch  is  confined  to  our  cool,  high 
mountain  slopes,  generally  at  greater  elevations 
than  the  black  birch,  from  which  it  can  usually  be 
distinguished  by  its  bark.  It  is  a  large  tree,  often 
with  a  short  or  crooked  trunk,  occasionally  reaching 
a  height  of  100  feet  and  a  diameter  of  4  feet. 

The  bark  on  the  trunk  and  large  branches  is  sil- 
very or  yellow-gray,  with  thin  papery  layers  sepa- 


YELLOW  BIRCH 
One-half  natural  size. 


rating  and  often  curling  at  the  edges,  giving  the 
trunk  a  ragged  appearance.  The  twigs  are  light 
brown,  lustrous  and  slightly  aromatic,  but  less  so 
than  those  of  the  black  birch. 

The  leaves  are  simple,  alternate,  oval  or  approxi- 
mately oblong,  doubly  and  finely  toothed,  3  to  5 
inches  long,  dark  green  and  lusterless  on  the  upper 
surface. 

The  flowers  are  in  catkins;  the  male,  or  stami- 
nate  catkins,  purplish  and  visible  all  the  winter 
previous  to  opening;  the  female,  or  pistillate,  cat- 
kins greenish,  erect,  shorter  and  thicker  than  those 
of  the  black  birch,  and  developing  in  the  spring. 

The  wood  is  heavy,  strong,  hard,  close-grained 
and  light  brown  in  color.  It  is  used  for  flooring, 
woodenware,  furniture,  and  other  uses,  but  is  con- 
sidered inferior  to  the  black  birch.    It  is  prized  as 

firewood. 

29 


BLACK  BIRCH    {Betula  lenta  L.) 

THE  black  birch,  also  known  as  sweet  birch  or 
cherry  birch,  occurs  only  in  the  highlands  and 
mountain  sections.  It  attains  its  best  development 
in  the  mountain  coves  and  on  rich  slojjes  where  it 
reaches  an  average  height  of  70  feet  and  a  diameter 
of  2  to  3  feet.  The  tree  is  moderately  slow  growing, 
but  is  of  value  for  its  products  and  protection  to  the 
soil  in  the  high  mouatains, 


BLACK    BIRCH 

Twig,  one-half  natural  size.  Leaf,  one-third  natural  size. 

The  bark  of  the  trunk  is  dark  brown,  almost 
black,  dull  and  broken  into  large  irregular,  but  not 
papery,  plates.  The  small  branches  and  twigs,  also 
dark  in  color  but  lustrous  and  very  aromatic,  are 
frequently  cut  and  distilled  for  the  production  of 
birch  oil,  much  used  as  wintergreen  flavoring. 

The  leaves  are  simple,  alternate,  oval  or  ap- 
proaching oblong,  3  to  4  inches  long,  finely  toothed 
and  dark  green,  dull  on  the  upper  surface. 

The  flowers  are  of  two  kinds;  the  male  catkins, 
usually  3  to  4  on  a  shoot,  forming  in  the  summer  and 
blooming  the  following  spring  when  the  female  cat- 
kins or  "cones"  open  from  the  winter  buds.  The 
seeds  ripen  in  late  summer  or  autumn  and  fall  with 
the  loosened  scales  of  the  "cone." 

The  wood  is  heavy,  very  strong,  hard  and  compact. 
The  dark-brown  color  of  the  wood  has  given  rise  to 
the  common  local  name  of  mahogany,  or  mountain 
mahogany.  It  is  used  for  furniture,  often  being 
sold  as  "mahogany,"  and  for  flooring  and  interior 
trimming ;  locally  it  is  prized  as  firewood. 

30 


IRONWOOD    (Hop   Hornbeam) 

{Ostrya  virginiana  K.  Koch) 

THE  tree  gets  its  common  names  from  the  quali- 
ties of  its  wood  and  the  hop-like  fruit.  It  is  a 
small,  slender,  generally  round-topped  tree,  from 
20  to  30  feet  high  and  7  to  10  inches  in  diameter. 
The  top  consists  of  long  slender  branches,  commonly 
drooping  toward  the  ends.  It„  is  found  mostly  on 
rather  dry  soils  throughout  the  upland  and  moun- 
tain regions. 


IRONWOOD 
Twig,  one-half  natural  size.  Leaf,  one-third  natural  size. 

The  bark  is  mostly  light  brown  or  reddish  brown, 
and  finely  divided  into  thin  scales  by  which  the 
tree,  after  a  little  acquaintance,  can  be  easily  rec- 
ognized. 

The  leaves  are  simple,  alternate,  generally  oblong 
with  narrowed  tips,  sharply  toothed  along  the  mar- 
gin, sometimes  doubly  toothed,  from  2  to  3  inches 
long. 

The  flowers  are  of  two  kinds  on  the  same  tree; 
the  male,  in  drooping  catkins  which  form  the  pre- 
vious summer,  the  female,  in  erect  catkins  on  the 
newly  formed  twigs.  The  fruit,  which  resembles 
that  of  the  common  hop  vine,  consists  of  a  branch 
of  leafy  bracts  1  to  2  inches  long  containing  a  num- 
ber of  flattened  ribbed  nutlets. 

The  wood  is  strong,  hard,  durable,  light  brown  to 
white,  with  thick  pale  sapwood.  Often  used  for 
fence  posts,  handles  of  tools,  mallets  and  other 
small  articles. 

31 


?^<s5t5>^  -Q>-ms><^^^' 


HORNBEAM   {Carpinus  caroUniana  Walt.) 

THE  horabeam,  often  known  as  ironwood  and 
occasionally  as  water  beech,  is  a  small,  slow- 
growing,  bushy  tree  with  a  spreading  top  of  slender, 
crooked,  or  drooping  branches.  It  is  found  along 
streams  and  in  low  ground  throughout  the  State. 
Its  height  is  usually  from  20  to  30  feet  and  its 
diameter  4  to  8  inches,  although  it  sometimes  grows 
larger. 

The  trunk  is  fluted  with  irregular  ridges  extend- 
ing up  and  down  the  tree.  The  bark  is 
light  brownish  gray  to  dark  bluish  gray 
in  color,  sometimes  marked  with  dark 
bands  extending  horizontally  on  the 
trunk. 


The  leaves  are  simple,  alternate,  oval, 
long-  pointed, 
doubly  toothed 
along  the  mar- 
gin, 2  or  3 
inches  in  length. 
They  resemble 
those  of  the 
black  or  sweet 
birch,  but  are 
smaller. 


Twig  one-half 
natural  size.  Leaf, 


HORNBEAM 
one-third    natural    size. 


The    flowers 

are  borne  in  cat- 
kins separately  on  the  same  tree;  the  male  catkin 
about  11/2  inches  long,  the  female  about  three-fourths 
of  an  inch,  with  small,  leaf -like,  3-lobed  green  scales. 
The  fruit  is  a  nutlet  about  one-third  of  an  inch  long. 
It  falls,  attached  to  the  leaf -like  scale  which  acts  as 
a  wing  in  aiding  its  distribution  by  the  wind. 

The  wood  is  tough,  close-grained,  heavy  and 
strong.  It  is  sometimes  selected  for  use  for  levers, 
tool  handles,  wooden  cogs,  mallets,  wedges,  etc.  The 
tree  is  of  little  commercial  importance  and  often 
occupies  space  in  the  woods  that  should  be  utilized 
by  more  valuable  kinds. 


32 


fe=^t>- 


BEECH   {Fagus  grandifoUa  Ehrh.) 

THE  beech  occurs  throughout  the  State.  It  makes 
its  best  growth,  however,  in  the  moist  coves  in 
the  mountains.  It  is  widely  found  scattered  with 
oaks  and  hickories  on  rich,  well-drained  bottoms, 
and  in  the  mountains  sometimes  occurs  in  unmixed, 
dense  stands.  It  is  one  of  the  most  beautiful  of  all 
trees,  either  in  summer  or  winter. 

The  simple,  oval  leaves  are  3  to  4 
inches  long,  pointed  at  the  tip,  and 
coarsely    toothed    along    the    margin. 


BEECH 

One-half  natural  size. 

When  mature,  they  are  almost  leathery  in  texture. 
The  beech  produces  a  dense  shade.  The  winter  buds 
are  long,  slender  and  pointed. 

The  bark  is,  perhaps,  the  most  distinctive  charac- 
teristic, as  it  maintains  an  unbroken,  light  gray  sur- 
face throughout  its  life.  So  tempting  is  this  smooth 
expanse  to  the  OAvner  of  a  jackknife  that  the  beech 
lias  been  well  designated  the  ''initial  tree." 

The  little,  brown,  three-sided  beech  nuts  are 
almost  as  well  known  as  chestnuts.  They  form 
usually  in  i)airs  in  a  prickly  burr.  The  kernel  is 
sweet  and  edible,  but  so  small  as  to  offer  insufficient 
reward  for  the  pains  of  biting  open  the  thin-shelled 
husk. 

The  wood  of  the  beech  is  very  hard,  strong,  and 
tough,  though  it  will  not  last  long  on  exposure  to 
Aveather  or  in  the  soil.  The  tree  is  of  no  great  eco- 
nomic importance  as  a  lumber  tree,  though  the  wood 
is  used  to  some  extent  for  furniture,  flooring,  car- 
penters' tools,  and  novelty  w^ares. 


33 


B>-^#^<:5S>-^-e> 


s-e>-^^<^ 


CHESTNUT  {Castanea  dcntata  Borkh.) 

OVER  the  Southern  States  the  chestnut  is  native 
to  the  hilly  and  mountain  sections.  It  is  one 
of  our  most  useful  trees  and  as  such,  has  been  called 
the  ''farmer's  best  friend." 

The  long-pointed  leaves  with  their  coarse  teeth, 
each  bearing  a  slender  spine,  are  quite  distinctive. 
They  are  simple,  alternate,  average  5  to  10  inches  in 

CHESTNUT 

Leaf,    one-third    natural    size. 
Twlff,  one-half  natural  size. 


/ 


length,  and  are  dark  green  in  color.  The  flowers 
are  of  two  kinds  on  the  same  tree,  the  long,  slender, 
whitish  catkins  opening  in  midsummer.  The  fruit 
is  a  prickly  burr,  which  opens  at  the  first  frost,  or 
earlier,  and  drops  2  or  3  shiny,  brown,  sweet,  edible 
nuts. 

The  bark  becomes  broken  into  light-gray,  broad, 
flat  ridges,  which  often  have  a  tendency  toward  a 
spiral  course  around  the  trunk. 

The  wood  is  light,  soft,  not  strong,  coarse-grained, 
and  very  durable  in  contact  Avith  the  soil — qualities 
v.hich  make  it  particularly  valuable  for  posts,  poles, 
orossties,  as  well  as  for  light  building  construction. 
The  wood  is  rich  in  tannin,  and  in  the  southern  Ap- 
palachians it  is  extensively  cut  and  used  for  the  ex- 
traction of  this  valuable  commercial  product. 

A  bark  disease,  known  as  the  chestnut  blight,  is 
proving  fatal  to  the  chestnut,  and  has  already  prac- 
tically exterminated  the  tree  over  much  of  north- 
eastern United  States.  It  has  already  reached  por- 
tions of  \'irginia  and  North  Carolina. 


34 


-e>  -#g%^<55:S>-^  -e>-^:je%><^p,^ 


WHITE  OAK   {Qucrciis  alba  L.) 

WITHIN  its  natural  range,  which  includes  prac- 
tically the  entire  eastern  half  of  the  United 
States,  the  white  oak  is  one  of  the  most  important 
timber  trees.  It  commonly  reaches  a  height  of  (50 
to  100  feet  and  a  diameter  of  2  to  3  feet;  sometimes 
it  becomes  much  larger.  It  is  found  in  a  wide  variety 
of  soils.     When  grown  in  a  dense  stand  it  has  a 


WHITE  OAK 


Twis,  one-half  natural  size. 


Leaf,  one-quarter  natural  size. 


straight  continuous  trunk,  free  of  side  branches  for 
over  half  its  height.  In  the  open,  however,  the  tree 
develops  a  broad  crown  with  far-reaching  limbs. 
Well-grown  specimens  are  strikingly  beautiful. 

The  leaves  are  alternate,  simple,  5  to  9  inches 
long  and  about  half  as  broad.  They  are  deeply  di- 
vided into  5  to  9  rounded,  finger-like  lobes.  The 
young  leaves  are  a  soft  silvery  gray  or  yellow  or 
red  while  unfolding,  becoming  later  bright  green 
above  and  much  paler  below.  The  fruit  is  an  acorn 
maturing  the  first  year.  The  nut  is  three-quarter 
to  one  inch  long,  light  brown,  about  one-quarter  en- 
closed in  the  Avarty  cup.  It  is  relished  by  hogs  and 
other  live  stock.  The  bark  is  thin,  light  ashy  graj 
and  covered  with  loose  scales  or  broad  plates. 

The  wood  is  useful  and  valuable.  It  is  heavy, 
strong,  hard,  tough,  close-grained,  durable,  and  light 
brown  in  color.  The  uses  are  many,  including  con- 
struction, shipbuilding,  tight  cooperage,  furniture, 
wagons,  imi)lements,  interior  finish,  flooring,  and 
fuel.  Notwithstanding  its  rather  slow  growth,  white 
oak  is  valuable  for  forest,  highway  and  ornamental 
planting. 

35 


POST  OAK 

[Qucrctts  stellata  Wang.,  formerly  Q.  minor  Sarg.) 

THE  post  oak  is  usually  a  medium-sized  tree,  with 
a  rounded  crown,  commonly  reaching  a  height  of 
50  to  80  feet  and  a  diameter  of  1  to  2  feet,  but  some- 
times considerably  larger.  It  occurs  throughout  the 
State,  ascending  in  the  mountains  to  2,500  feet,  but 
is  most  abundant  on  the  poorer  soils  of  the  middle 
districts. 

The  bark  is  rougher 
and  darker  than  the 
white  oak  and  broken 
into  smaller  scales. 
The  stout  young 
twigs  and  the  leaves 
are  coated  at  first 
with  a  thick  light- 
colored  fuzz  which 
soon  becomes  darker 
POST  OAK  ^^^  ^^^^^  drops  away 

One-third  natural  size.  entirely. 

The     leaves     are 

usually  4  to  5  inches  long  and  nearly  as  broad, 
deeply  5-lobed  with  broad  rounded  divisions,  the 
lobes  broadest  at  the  ends.  They  are  thick  and 
somewhat  leathery,  dark  green  and  shiny  on  the 
upper  surface,  lighter  green  and  rough  hairy  be- 
neath. 

The  flowers,  like  those  of  the  other  oaks,  are 
of  two  kinds  on  the  same  tree,  the  male  in  drooping, 
clustered  catkins,  the  female  inconspicuous.  The 
fruit  is  an  oval  acorn,  one-half  to  1  inch  long,  set 
in  a  rather  small  cup  which  may  or  may  not  be 
stalked. 

The  wood  is  very  heavy,  hard,  close-grained,  light 
to  dark  brown,  durable  in  contact  with  the  soil. 
It  is  used  for  crossties  and  fence  posts,  and  along 
with  other  oaks  of  the  white  oak  class  for  furniture 
and  other  purposes. 


j^'CX^^^ 


s -e> -^^-35:|>-^ -o  f^<K^.^ -e>  i!€%=>•«3^-^'-e>•^^<?l>- 
OVERCUP  OAK  {Qucrcus  lyrata  Walt.) 


THE  overcup  oak,  sometimes  known  as  swamp 
post  oak,  is  a  large  tree  with  small,  often  pendu- 
lous branches  rarely  reaching  a  height  of  100  feet 
and  a  diameter  of  3  feet.  It  occurs  in  river  bottoms 
and  rich  low  grounds  of  the  Coastal  Plain  and  the 
Mississippi  basin,  but  is  nowhere  very  abundant. 

The  leaves  are  7  to  9  inches  long,  1  to  4  inches 

broad,  oblong, 
wider  towards  the 
point,  narrowed  at 
the  base,  dark 
green  above,  whit- 
ish beneath,  with 
7  to  9  distinct, 
deep,  pointed 
lobes.  They  fre- 
quently turn  to  a 
bright  scarlet  or  to 
scarlet  and  orange 
in  the  fall.  The 
bark  is  rough, 
flaky,  gray  tinged 
with  red. 

The  flowers 

open  in  April  with  the  unfolding  of  the  leaves.  The 
acorn,  or  fruit,  ripens  the  first  year.  It  is  thor- 
oughly characteristic  of  the  species.  The  large 
rounded  or  somewhat  flattened  acorn,  one-half  to 
1  inch  long,  is  nearly  covered  by  the  ovate  or 
nearly  spherical  cup,  which  is  thickened  at  the  base 
but  gradually  grows  thinner  to  the  thin,  often  ir- 
regularly split,  margin  of  the  cup.  The  name  of 
the  tree  comes  from  this  characteristic. 

The  wood  is  heavy,  hard,  strong  and  durable 
and  is  used  for  the  same  purposes  as  that  of  white 
oak. 


OVERCUP  OAK 

Leaf,  one-third   natural  size. 
Twig,  two-thirds  natural  size. 


37 


-e>  -#^-e5jp-^  -e>  -^^-=35^- 


CHESTNUT  OAK 

{Quercus  montana  Willd.,  formerly  Q.  prinus  L.) 

CHESTNUT  OAK,  also  known  as  mountain  oak 
and  rock  oak,  has  acquired  these  names  from 
its  leaf,  which  resembles  that  of  the  chestnut,  and 
from  its  fondness  for  rocky  or  mountain  ridges. 
It  is  found  widely  distributed  throughout  the  moun- 
tains on  dry  gravelly  and  rocky  slopes,  ridges  and 
stream  banks,  and  less  commonly  in  the  upland 
part  of  the  State  in 
similar  dry,  rocky  situ- 
ations. 

It  is  noticeably  a 
spreading  tree  of  medi- 
um height;  at  15  to  20 
feet,  the  trunk  frequent- 
ly divides  into  several 
large,  angular  limbs, 
making  an  open,  irregu- 
lar-shaped head.  The 
bark  is  dark  reddish 
brown,  thick,  deeply  di- 
vided into  broad, 
rounded  ridges,  and  is 
of  high  commercial 
value  for  the  extraction 
of  tannic  acid. 
The  leaves  are  simple,  alternate,  oblong,  often 
rounded  at  the  point,  irregularly  scalloped  or  wavy 
on  the  edge  (not  sharp-toothed  as  in  chestnut),  5  to 
9  inches  long,  and  shiny  yellowish  green  above, 
lighter  and  slightly  fuzzy  beneath.  The  fruit  is  an 
acorn  about  an  inch  long,  oval,  shiny  brown,  and 
enclosed  up  to  half  its  length  in  a  cup.  It  ripens 
in  one  season,  and,  like  the  acorn  of  the  white  oak, 
sprouts  in  the  autumn  soon  after  falling  to  the 
ground. 

The  wood  is  generally  similar  to  that  of  the  other 
upland  white  oaks,  heavy,  hard,  strong,  and  durable 
in  contact  with  the  soil.  It  is  extensively  cut  into 
crossties  and  heavy  timbers  for  bridge,  railroad,  and 
other  rough  construction,  and  used  for  fence  posts 

and  fuel. 

38 


CHESTNUT    OAK 

One-third  natural  size. 


e>  -#^<xs:i>.^  .<3>  -^6^<?l 


SWAMP  CHESTNUT  OAK 
(Basket  Oak,  or  Cow  Oak) 

(Quercus  prinus  L.,  formerly  Q.  michauxii  Nutt.) 

THIS  tree  occurs  in  its  greatest  abundance  in  tlie 
bottomlands  of  the  eastern  part  of  the  State, 
and  is  found  sparsely  in  other  sections,  outside  of 
the  mountains.  In  the  appearance  of  its  bark  and 
branches  it  closely  resembles  the  ordinary  white 
oak,  but  may  be  distinguished  by  means  of  the 
leaf  and  acorn.  The  tree  attains  heights  of  about 
100  feet  and  diameters  of  about  4  feet. 

The  leaves  are  oval, 
broader  towards  the 
point  and  notched  on 
the  edge  somewhat  like 
the  chestnut  oak.  They 
vary  from  4  to  8  inches 
in  length,  are  downy 
beneath  and  turn  a  rich 
crimson  in  the  fall.  The 
bark  is  a  very  light 
gray,  and  on  old  trees 
is  broken  into  broad 
flakes  or  divided  into 
strips. 

The  acorn,  or  fruit, 
attains  a  diameter  of 
more  than  an  inch  and 
a  length  of  ly^  inches. 
The  acorn,  which  is  a  bright  shiny  brown  and 
set  in  a  rather  shallow  cup,  is  considerably  larger 
than  that  of  the  white  oak.  It  is  frequently  eaten 
by  cows  and  this  fact  gives  the  tree  one  of  its 
common  names. 

The  wood  is  heavy,  hard,  tough,  strong,  and  takes 
an  excellent  polish.  It  is  used  in  manufacturing 
lumber,  veneer,  boards  (shakes),  tight  cooperage; 
for  fuel  and  fence  posts;  and  extensively  for  mak- 
ing baskets. 


SWAMP  CHESTNUT  OAK 
Leaf,  one-third  natural  size. 
Twig,   one-half  natural  size. 


39 


f^><-?:i3>-^  -e>"-^^<<?:|>- 


^o>-^gfe^-03^- 


LIVE  OAK  {Quercus  virginiana  Mill.) 

THE  live  oak  extends  from   southeastern  Vir- 
ginia through  the  lower  Coastal  Plain  of  North 
Carolina  and  southward.     It  is  a  tree  of  striking 
character  from  its  wide-spreading  habit,  sometimes 
reaching  more  than  100  feet  in  spread ;  with  a  short, 
stout  trunk,  3  to  4  feet  in  diameter,  dividing  in 
several  large  limbs  with  nearly  horizontal  branches, 
forming  a  low,  dense, 
round-topped  head.  Its 
height     is     commonly 
from  40  to  50  feet.  The 
bark  on  the  trunk  and 
large  branches  is  dark 
brown  tinged  with  red, 
and  slightly  furrowed. 
It  grows  to  largest  size 
on  the  rich  hammocks 
and    low    ridges    near 
the   coast  and  only  a 
few     feet     above     the 
water  level.     It  is  one 
of  the  most  desirable 
trees  for  roadside  and 
ornamental  planting  in 
the  Coastal  Plain.     It 
is  of  moderately  slow  growth  but  long-lived  and 
handsome. 

The  leaves  are  simple,  evergreen,  thick,  leathery, 
oblong,  smooth  above,  pale  and  silvery  white  be- 
neath ;  from  2  to  4  inches  in  length  and  1  to  2  inches 
in  breadth. 

The  fruit  is  an  acorn  about  an  inch  long  and  one- 
third  inch  wide,  borne  on  a  long  stem  or  peduncle; 
it  is  oblong,  dark  brown  and  lustrous,  and  set  in  a 
top-shaped,  downy  cup  of  a  light  reddish-brown 
color. 

The  wood  is  very  heavy,  hard,  strong  and  tough, 
light  brown  or  yellow,  with  nearly  white,  thin  sap- 
wood.  It  was  formerly  largely  used,  and  still  is 
occasionally,  for  ships'  knees  in  building  wooden 
ships. 

40 


LIVE    OAK 
Two-thirds  natural  siae. 


>  -^£6p<J3t>-^  -^  -i^^i^' 


•<S>  -f^<XK|?-^  -^>  •^^^<x^ 


NORTHERN  RED  OAK 

{Qucrcus  hGrcalis  maxima  Ashe, 
formerly  Q.  rubra  L.) 

THE  northern  red  oak  occurs  throughout  the 
State,  but  is  most  common  and  of  best  quality  in 
tlte  higher  mountains.  It  is  not  found  in  swamps. 
It  usually  attains  a  height  of  about  70  feet  and  a 
diameter  ranging  from  2  to  3  feet,  but  is  sometimes 
much  larger.  The  forest-grown  tree  is  tall  and 
straight  with  a  clear  trunk  and  narrow  crown. 

The  bark  on  young 
stems  is  smooth,  gray  to 
brown,  on 
older  trees 
thick  and 
broken  by 
shallow  fis- 
sures into 
regular,  flat, 
smooth  -  sur- 
faced plates. 

The  leaves 

are  simple, 
alternate,  5 
to  9  inches 
long  and  4  to 
Cinches  wide, 
broader  to- 
ward the  tip, 
divided   into 

7  to  9  lobes,  each  lobe  being  somewhat  coarsely 
tootled  and  bristle-tii3ped,  and  firm,  dull  green 
above,  paler  below,  often  turning  a  brilliant  red 
after  frost.  The  flowers,  as  in  all  the  oaks,  are  of 
two  kinds  on  the  same  tree,  the  male  in  long,  droop- 
ing, clustered  catkins,  opening  with  the  leaves,  the 
female  solitary  or  slightly  clustered.  The  fruit  is 
a  large  acorn  maturing  the  second  year.  The  nut 
is  from  three-fourths  to  1%  inches  long,  blunt- 
topped,  flat  at  base,  with  only  its  base  enclosed  in 
the  very  shallow  dark-brown  cup. 

The  wood  is  hard,  strong,  coarse-grained,  with 
light  reddish-brown  heartwood  and  thin  lighter-col- 
ored sapv\'ood.  It  is  used  for  cooperage,  interior  fin- 
ish, construction,  furniture,  and  crossties.  Because 
of  its  average  rapid  growth,  high-grade  wood,  and 
general  freedom  from  insect  and  fungus  attack,  it  is 
widely  planted  in  the  higher  portions  of  the  State 
for  timber  production  and  as  a  shade  tree. 


NORTHERN  RED  OAK 
Leaf,    one-third    natural    size. 
Twig,   one-liulf   natural   size. 


41 


-^^<;5t5>-^  ^>-^t%-<?^- 


-e> 


SOUTHERN  RED  OAK 

{Que.'cus  rubra  Linn.,  formerly  Q.  digitata  Sudw.) 

THE  southern  red  oak,  commonly  known  as  red 
oak  and  referred  to  in  books  as  Spanish  oak, 
usually  grows  to  a  height  of  70  to  80  feet  and  a  di- 
ameter of  2  to  3  feet,  though  larger  trees  are  not 
infrequently  found.  It  is  one  of  the  most  common 
southern  upland  oaks.  Its  large  spreading  branches 
form  a  broad,  round,  open  top.   The  bark  is  rough, 

though  not 
deeply  fur- 
rowed,  and 
varies  from 
light  gray  on 
younger  trees 
to  dark  gray  or 
almost  black  on 
older  ones. 

The  leaves 

are  of  two  dif- 
ferent types : 
(1)  irregular- 
shaped  lobes, 
mostly  narrow, 
bristle  -  tipped, 
the  central  lobe 
often  the  longest;  or  (2)  pear-shaped  with  3  rounded 
lobes  at  the  outer  end.  They  are  dark  lustrous 
green  above  and  gray  downy  beneath,  the  contrast 
being  strikingly  seen  in  a  wind  or  rain  storm. 

The  flowers  appear  in  April  while  the  leaves  are 
unfolding.  The  fruit  ripens  the  second  year.  The 
small  rounded  acorn,  about  half  an  inch  long,  is 
set  in  a  thin  saucer -shaped  cup  which  tapers  to  a 
short  stem. 

The  wood  is  heavy,  hard,  strong,  coarse-grained, 
and  is  less  subject  to  defects  than  most  other  red 
oaks.  It  is  used  for  rough  lumber  and  for  furni- 
ture, chairs,  tables,  etc.  It  is  a  desirable  timber 
tree,  especially  on  the  poorer,  drier  soils.  The 
bark  is  rich  in  tannin. 

The  freedom  of  this  tree  from  disease,  its  thrifty 
growth,  large  handsome  form  and  long  life  make 
it  very  desirable  for  shade  or  ornamental  use. 


SOUTHERN  BED  OAK 
Leaf,    one-third    natural    size. 
Twig,   one-half   natural   size. 


42 


:-ei-^$p 


^>  -^--<;^- 


BLACK  OAK  {Quercus  velutina  Lam.) 

THE  black  oak,  sometimes  farther  north  called 
yellow  oak  or  yellow-barked  oak,  usually  grows 
to  be  about  80  feet  in  height  and  1  to  3  feet  in  diame- 
ter. It  is  found  commonly  throughout  the  State 
on  dry  plains  and  ridges,  but  seldom  on  rich  ground. 
The  crown  is  irregularly  shaped  and  wide,  with  a 
clear  trunk  for  20  feet  or  more  on  large  trees.  The 

bark  on 
the  very 
young 
trunks  is 
s  m  o  o  t  'h 
and  dark 
brown  but 
soon  be- 
comes 
thick  and 
black, 
with  deep 
furrows 
and  rough 
broken 
ridges. 
Thebright- 
yellow 
color    and 

bitter  taste  of  the  inner  bark;  due  to  tannic  acid, 
are   distinguishing   characteristics. 

The  leaves  are  alternate,  simple,  5  to  10  inches 
long  and  8  to  8  inches  wide,  shalloAV  or  deeply 
lobed,  the  shape  varying  greatly.  When  mature, 
the  leaves  are  dark  green  and  shiny  on  the  upper 
surface,  pale  on  the  lower,  more  or  less  covered 
with  down,  and  with  conspicuous  rusty  brown  hairs 
in  the  forks  of  the  veins. 

The  fruit  matures  the  second  season.  The  light- 
brown  nut  is  from  one-half  to  1  inch  long,  more 
or  less  hemispherical  in  shape,  and  from  one-half 
to  three-quarters  enclosed  in  the  thin,  dark-brown, 
scaly  cup.  The  kernel  is  yellow  and  extremely 
bitter. 

The  wood  is  hard,  heav^,  strong,  coarse-grained 
and  checks  easily.  It  is  a  bright  red-brown  with 
a  thin  outer  edge  of  paler  sapwood.  It  is  used  for 
the  same  purposes  as  red  oak,  under  which  name 
it  is  put  on  the  market.    Its  growth  is  rather  slow. 


Twig  one-half 
natural  size. 


BLACK    OAK 

Leaf,  one-third  natural  size. 


43 


SCARLET  OAK  {Qurcus  coccinea  Muencli.) 

SCARLET  OAK,  also  known  as  pin,  Spanish  or 
spotted  oak,  occurs  usually  on  dry,  rocky,  or 
sandy  soils,  throughout  the  uplands  of  the  lower 
mountains,  but  is  nowhere  very  abundant  or  of  first 
importance.  It  usually  reaches  a  height  of  GO  or  80 
feet,  with  a  trunk  diameter  of  2  or  3  feet,  and  is 
sometimes  larger.    The  branches  droop  at  the  ends 

and  form  a  narrow, 
open  crown  and  the 
trunk  tapers  rapidly. 
The  bark 
on  young 
stems  i  s 
smooth 
and  light 
brown.  On 
old  trunks 
it  is  di- 
vided into 
ridges  not 
so  rough 
as  those  of 
the  black 
oak  and 
not  so  flat- 
topped  a  s 

SCARLET  OAK  Twig  one-half    thoseof 

Leaf,    one-third    natural    size.         natural  size.     ,i        nnrfh 

ern  red  oak.    The  bark  is  often  mottled  or  spotted 
with  gray.    The  inner  bark  is  reddish. 

The  leaves  are  simple,  alternate,  somewhat  oblong 
or  oval,  3  to  6  inches  long,  2i/2  to  4  inches  wide, 
usually  7-lobed,  the  lobes  bristle-pointed  and  sepa- 
rated by  rounded  openings  extending  at  least  tAvo- 
thirds  of  the  distance  to  the  midrib,  giving  the  leaves 
a  very  deeply  "cut"  appearance.  The  leaves  turn  a 
brilliant  scarlet  in  the  autumn  before  falling.  The 
flowers  are  of  two  kinds  on  the  same  tree  and  ap- 
pear when  the  leaves  are  two-thirds  or  one-half 
grown.  The  fruit  takes  2  years  to  mature.  The 
acorn  is  one-half  to  1  inch  long,  reddish  brown, 
often  striped,  and  about  half -enclosed  in  the  cup. 

The  wood  is  heavy,  hard,  strong  and  coarse- 
grained .  The  lumber  is  sold  as  red  oak  and  has  the 
same  uses.  It  is  usually  somewhat  inferior  in  qual- 
ity and  sometimes  known  as  pin  oak.  Scarlet  oak 
is  used  considerably  in  ornamental  planting. 


44 


'^<!^^^  -^3>-^^<J^- 


-e>  -f^^X?;^^  ^>  -^^<5:|>- 


BLACK  JACK  OAK 

{Qucrcus  marilandica  Muench.) 

THE  occurrence  of  blackjack  oak  is  said  to  indi- 
cate poor  soil.  It  is  certain  that  it  often  occurs 
on  dry  or  poorly  drained  gravel,  clay,  or  sandy  up- 
land soils  where  few  other  forest  trees  thrive.  This 
perhaps  accounts  chiefly  for  its  slow  rate  of  growth. 
It  is  found  in  all  parts  of  the  State  except  the  high 
mountain  regions.     The  tree  sometimes  reaches  a 


BLACK  JACK  OAK 
Twig,  two-thirds  natural  size.  Leaf,  one-third  natural  size. 

height  of  50  or  60  feet  and  a  diameter  of  IG  inches, 
but  it  is  usually  much  smaller.  Its  hard,  stiff, 
drooping  branches  form  a  dense  crown  which  usually 
contains  many  persistent  dead  twigs.  The  bark  is 
rough,  very  dark,  often  nearly  black,  and  broken 
into  small,  hard  scales  or  flakes. 

The  leaves  are  of  leathery  texture,  dark  green  on 
the  upper  surface,  lighter  underneath,  broadly 
wedge-shaped,  4:  to  10  inches  long  and  about  the 
same  in  width.  The  fruit  is  an  acorn  about  three- 
quarters  of  an  inch  long,  yellow-brown  and  often 
striped,  inclosed  for  half  its  length  or  more  in  a 
thick  light-brown  cup. 

The  wood  is  heavy,  hard  and  strong ;  when  used 
at  all,  it  is  used  mostly  as  firewood. 


45 


WATER  OAK  {Qiicrcus  nigra  L.) 

THE  water  oak  is  found  native  along  the  borders 
of  swamiDS  and  streams  and  on  rich  bottomlands, 
over  the  Coastal  Plain  and  somewhat  farther  inland. 
It  has  been  considerably  planted  in  the  Southern 
States  along  streets  and  in  parks  as  a  shade  tree. 
When  fully  grown  this  tree  reaches  a  height  of  about 
80  feet  and  a  diameter  of  from  1  to  over  3  feet.    The 

trunk  is  shapely. 
The  bark  is 
smooth,  light 
brown  winged 
with  red,  and  has 
many  smooth  thin 
scales  over  the 
surface.  The 
water  oak  can  be 
most  readily  dis- 
tinguished from 
the  willow  oak — 
a  close  associate, 
but  longer-lived — 


WATER    OAK 

Leaf,    one-third    natural    size. 
Twig,  one-half  natural  size. 


by  the  differences  in  the  general  shape  and  size  of 
the  leaves. 

The  leaves  are  simple,  quite  variable  in  shape, 
mostly  oblong,  broader  near  the  point,  and  narrower 
at  the  base,  giving  a  wedge-shaped  effect.  They  are 
usually  slightly  3-lobed  at  the  outer  end,  thin,  and 
of  a  dull  bluish-green  color,  paler  below  than  above ; 
mostly  smooth,  and  usually  2  to  3  inches  long  and 
1  to  2  inches  wide ;  they  remain  green  for  some  time 
and  gradually  fall  from  the  tree  during  the  winter. 

The  flowers  appear  in  April  when  the  leaves  are 
beginning  to  unfold.  The  fruit,  or  acorn,  matures 
at  the  end  of  the  second  season.  The  acorn  is  from 
one-half  to  two-thirds  of  an  inch  in  length  and 
nearly  as  broad,  light  brown  or  yellowish  brown  and 
often  striped,  enclosed  at  the  base  only  in  a  thin 
saucer-shaped  cup. 

The  wood  is  heavy,  hard,  and  strong,  light  brown 
in  color,  with  lighter-colored  sapwood.  It  is  not 
used  to  a  great  extent  as  lumber,  but  the  trees  are 
cut  and  utilized  for  piling,  crossties  and  fuel. 


46 


i^<;^- 


WILLOW  OAK  {Qucrcus  yhellos  L.) 

THE  willow  oak,  often  called  water  oak,  occurs 
generally  over  the  State,  except  on  the  higher 
slopes  and  mountains.  It  is  most  often  found  in 
lowlands  and  along  the  borders  of  rivers  and 
swamps,  but  often  also  on  rich  sandy  uplands.  It  is 
a  beautiful  and  long-lived  tree,  and  desirable  for 
roadside,  lawns  and  parks,  for  which  it  has  been 
widely  planted. 

The  slender  willow-like  leaves,  on  a  tree  whose 
habit   of   growth   is   manifestly    that    of   an    oak, 
make  the  tree  easy  to 
identify  in  the  forest. 
The  leaves  are  2  to  4 
inches    long    and    one- 
half     to     1     inch 
wide,  with  smooth 
or    slightly    Avavy 
margin,  bristle- 
pointed,    smooth,    light    green 
y      y    «   •*'■  and  shiny  above,  but  dull  and 

usually  smooth  below;  alter- 
nate in  arrangement  on  the 
twig  and  borne  on  a  short  stout 
stem.  The  bark  is  generally 
smooth  and  of  a  reddish  brown  color ;  with  age,  the 
bark  becomes  slightly  roughened  and  divided  by 
narrow  ridges. 

The  small  acorns,  closely  set  along  the  stem,  ma- 
ture at  the  end  of  the  second  year.  The  nut  is  a 
light-brown  hemisphere,  about  one-half  an  inch  in 
diameter,  its  base  scarcely  enclosed  in  the  shallow, 
reddish-brown  cup.  The  nuts  are  eaten  as  food  by 
bluejays,  grackles  ("black  birds"),  and  several  other 
species  of  birds,  as  well  as  by  rodents. 

The  wood  is  not  separated  commercially  from 
other  species  in  the  red  oak  group.  It  is  heavy, 
strong,  rather  coarse-grained,  light  brown  tinged 
with  red,  and  not  durable  when  exposed  to  the 
weather.  It  is  used  locally  for  crossties,  bridge 
planks,  barn  sills,  and  general  construction. 


WILLOW    OAK 

Twig, 
one-half  natural  size. 

Leaf, 
one-third    natural    size. 


47 


B>i^'C5^'^  -e>-^^<K?:§>-s  ^>-#^<5<j^^  -^-e^^i^ 

WHITE  ELM  (American  Elm) 

{Ulmus  amcricana  L.) 

THE  famous  shade  tree  of  New  England,  whose 
range,  however,  extends  to  the  Rocky  Mountains 
and  southward  to  Texas.  Within  this  vast  area,  it 
is  generally  common  exceiit  in  the  high  mountains 
and  wet  bottom  lauds.  It  reaches  an  average  height 
of  60  to  70  feet  and  a  diameter  of  4  to  5  feet.  The 
bark  is  dark  gray,  divided  into  irregular,  flat-topped, 
thick  ridges,  and  is  generally  firm,  though 
on  old  trees  it  tends  to  come  off  in  flakes. 
An  incision  into  the  inner  bark  will  show 
alternate  layers  of  brown  and  white. 

The  leaves  are  alternate,  simple,  4  to  6 
inches 
long,  rath- 
er t  h  i  c  k, 
somewhat 
one-  sided, 
doubly 
toothed  on 
the  mar- 
gin, and 
generally 
smooth 
above  and 
downy  below.  The  leaf  veins  are  very  pronounced 
and  run  in  parallel  lines  from  the  midrib  to  leaf- 
edge. 

The  flowers  are  small,  perfect,  greenish,  on  slen- 
der stalks  sometimes  an  inch  long,  appearing  before 
the  leaves  in  very  early  spring.  The  fruit  is  a  light 
green,  oval  shaped  samara  (winged  fruit)  with  the 
seed  portion  in  the  center  and  surrounded  entirely 
by  a  wing.  A  deep  notch  in  the  end  of  the  wing  is 
distinctive  of  the  species.  The  seed  ripens  in  the 
spring  and  by  its  wing  is  widely  disseminated  by 
the  wind. 

The  wood  is  heavy,  hard,  strong,  tough,  and  dif^- 
cut  to  split.  It  is  used  for  hubs  of  wheels,  saddle 
trees,  boats  and  ships,  barrel  hoops,  and  veneer  for 
baskets  and  crates.  ^ 

Because  of  its  spreading  fan-shaped  form,  grace- 
ful pendulous  branches,  and  long  life,  the  white  elm 
justly  holds  its  place  as  one  of  the  most  desirable 
shade  trees. 


■^■smx^ 


Twig  one-half 
natural  size. 


WHITE  ELM 
Leaf,    one-third   natural   size. 


48 


-e> 


Fa R (EST  TR^&S^ 


V^INGED  ELM  [Ulmus  alata  Michx.) 

THE  winged  elm  gets  its  common  name  from  the 
thin  corky  growth,  or  "wings,"  usually  found  on 
the  smaller  branches.  It  occurs  scattered  generally 
over  the  State  except  in  the  mountains,  usually  on 
dry,  gravelly  uplands,  but  often  in  moist  soils  and 
in  waste  places.  It  grows  rapidly  in  moist  situa- 
tions, and  at  the  same  time  is  one  of  the  best  trees 
for  planting  along  road- 
sides in  dry  poor  loca- 
tions. It  is  compara- 
tively free  from  disease, 
though  not  notably 
long-lived.  This  elm  is 
a  medium-sized  tree  of 
40  to  50  feet  in  height 
and  rarel}^  as  large  as 
2  feet  in  diameter.  It 
forms  a  rather  open, 
round-topped  head.  The 
bark  is  light  brown, 
tinged  with  red,  and 
divided  into  irregular 
flat  ridges  and  fissures. 

The  leaves  are  simple,  alternate,  2  to  4  inches 
long  and  1  to  2  inches  broad,  coarsely  double-toothed, 
thick,  dark  green  and  smooth  above,  and  pale  and 
softly  downy  below.  They  are  smaller  than  those 
of  any  other  elm  native  in  the  State,  The  flowers 
appear  in  early  spring,  long  before  the  leaves  unfold. 
The  fruit  ripens  in  the  spring  about  the  time  the 
leaves  appear;  it  is  winged,  tipped  with  2  small  in- 
curved awns,  or  beaks,  oblong,  reddish  brown,  about 
one-third  of  an  inch  long,  with  a  long  slender  stalk 
at  the  base,  and  covered  with  white  hairs. 

The  wood  is  very  similar  to  that  of  the  other 
elms — heavy,  hard,  strong  and  difficult  to  split.  It 
is  occasionally  used  for  hubs  and  mauls.  Formerly, 
rope  made  of  the  inner  bark  was  used  for  binding 
the  covers  to  cotton  bales. 


WINGED    ELM 

Two-thirds  natural  size. 


-e>  •$^<^^- 


HACKBERRY  (CeZfis  occidentalis  L.) 


THE  hackberry  is  found  sparsely  throughout  the 
State,  except  in  the  high  mountains.  It  occurs 
most  abundantly  and  of  greatest  size  in  the  rich 
alluvial  lands  in  the  lower  part  of  the  State,  but 
thrives,  however,  on  various  types  of  soil,  from  the 
poorest  to  the  richest.  It  is  usually  a  small  or 
medium-sized  tree  from  30  to  50  feet  high  and  10 


HACKBERRY 
Leaf,    one-third   natural    size. 
Twig,  one-half  natural  size. 

to  20  inches  in  diameter.  Its  limbs  are  often  crooked 
and  angular  and  bear  a  head  made  of  slender, 
pendant  branches  or  short,  bristly,  stubby  twigs. 
In  the  open  the  crown  is  generally  very  symmetrical. 
It  makes  an  excellent  shade  tree. 

The  bark  is  grayish  and  generally  rough  with 
scale-like  or  warty  projections  of  dead  bark.  In 
some  instances  the  bark  is  smooth  enough  on  the 
limbs  to  resemble  that  of  the  beech. 

The  leaves  are  simple,  ovate,  alternate,  one-sided, 
2  to  4  inches  long,  the  edges  toothed  towards  the 
long  point. 

The  flowers  are  inconspicuous,  and  the  two  kinds 
are  borne  on  the  same  tree.  They  appear  in  April  or 
May,  and  are  of  a  creamy  greenish  color.  The  fruit 
is  a  round,  somewhat  oblong  drupe,  or  berry,  from 
one-quarter  to  one-third  of  an  inch  in  diameter.  It 
has  a  thin,  purplish  skin,  and  sweet,  yellowish  flesh. 
From  this  characteristic  it  is  sometimes  called 
sugarberry.  The  berries  frequently  hang  on  the 
tree  most  of  the  winter. 

The  wood  is  heavy,  rather  soft,  weak,  and  decays 
readily  when  exposed.  It  is  used  chiefly  for  fuel, 
but  occasionally  for  lumber. 


50 


RED  MULBERRY  (l/orws  rw6ra  L.) 

THE  red  mulberry  occurs  throughout  the  State. 
It  prefers  the  rich  soils  of  the  lower  and  middle 
districts,  but  is  nowhere  abundant.  It  is  commonly- 
called  mulberry  as  there  are  no  other  native  species. 
The  white  mulberry  and  paper  mulberry,  which  are 
sometimes  found  in  waste  places,  are  introduced 
species  which  have  to  some  extent  become  natural- 


KED  MULBERRY 
Twig,  two-thirds  natural  size.  Leaf,  one-third  natural  size. 

ized.  The  red  mulberry  is  a  small  tree,  rarely  50 
feet  high  and  2  feet  in  diameter,  often  growing  in 
the  shade  of  larger  trees. 

The  bark  is  rather  thin,  dark  grayish  brown,  peel- 
ing otf  in  long  narrow  flakes. 

The  leaves  are  alternate,  thin,  rounded  or  some- 
what heart-shaped,  toothed,  pointed,  3  to  5  inches 
long,  rough  hairy  above  and  soft  hairy  beneath. 
Often  some  of  the  leaves,  especially  on  young  trees 
and  thrifty  shoots,  are  mitten-shaped  or  variously 
lobed. 

The  flowers  are  of  two  kinds,  on  the  same  or  dif- 
ferent trees,  in  long  drooping  catkins,  the  female 
catkins  shorter,  appearing  with  the  leaves.  The 
fruit  is  dark  red  or  black,  and  resembles  a  black- 
berry ;  however,  a  stalk  extends  through  it  centrally, 
and  it  is  longer  and  narrower.  The  fruit  is  sweet 
and  edible  and  greatly  relished  by  birds  and  various 
animals. 

The  wood  is  rather  light,  soft,  not  strong,  light 
orange-yellow,  very  durable  in  contact  with  the  soil. 
It  is  chiefly  used  for  fence  posts.  The  tree  might  be 
planted  for  this  purpose  and  to  furnish  food  for 
birds. 


51 


CUCUMBER  TREE  {Magnolia  acuminata  L.) 

THE  cucumber  tree  attains  an  average  height  of 
00  to  80  feet  and  a  diameter  of  2  to  4  feet.  It 
occurs  singly  among  other  hardwood  trees  through- 
out the  richer,  cooler  slopes  and  coves  of  our  moun- 
tains, and  extends  somewhat  into  the  nearby  regions. 
This  is  the  only  one  of  our  magnolias  which  has 
rough  bark  and  a  small  leaf. 

The  bark 

is  aromatic 
and  bitter; 
that  of  the 
young 
twigs  is  a 
lustrou  s 
red-brown, 
while  the 
bark  of 
the  trunk 
i  s  rather 
thin,  dark 
brown, 
furrowed 
and  broken 
into  thin 
scales. 


CUCUMBER    TREE 

Leaf,    one-third    natural    size. 

Twig,   two-thirds  natural  size. 


The  leaves  are  alternate,  oblong,  short-pointed, 
rounded  at  the  base,  silky  hairy  when  unfolding, 
later  smooth  or  slightly  silky,  6  to  10  inches  long, 
4  to  6  inches  wide,  often  with  wavy  edges,  dark 
green  above,  lighter  beneath. 

The  flowers  are  single,  large — though  smaller  than 
those  of  the  other  magnolias — 2i/2  to  3  inches  long. 
The  G  upright  petals  are  whitish  green,  tinged  with 
yellow.  The  fruit  is  a  smooth,  dark-red,  often 
crooked  "cone,"  'Zy^  to  3  inches  long,  somewhat 
resembling  a  small  cucumber.  The  seeds  are  one- 
half  inch  long,  and  covered  with  a  pulpy  scarlet 
coat,  which  attracts  the  birds,  particularly  as  the 
seeds  hang  by  thin  cords  from  the  opening  "cones." 

The  wood  is  light,  soft,  close-grained,  durable, 
of  a  light  yellow-brown  color.  It  is  cut  and  used 
extensively  along  with  yellow  poplar  for  cabinet 
and  carriage  making,  and  other  similar  uses.  Be- 
sides being  a  valuable  timber  tree,  it  is  quite  de- 
sirable for  roadside  and  ornamental  planting. 


52 


SWEET  BAY,  OR  WHITE  BAY 

{Magnolia  virginiana  L.) 

SWEET  BAY,  or  white  bay,  is  a  small  slender 
tree  with  gray  branches  attaining  heights  of 
15  to  30  feet,  depending  upon  the  soil  conditions. 
It  is  found  on  low,  moist  or  wet  lands,  and  along 
the  margins  of  water  in  the  Coastal  Plain  and  less 
abundantly  in  the  eastern  portion  of  the  Piedmont 
region.  It  is  associated  with  white  cedar  in  the 
"juniper  bays."  It  sprouts  up  freely  after  fires  and 
sometimes  forms  thickets.  It 
is  often  cultivated  as  a  gar- 
den plant  in  this  country 
and  in  Europe. 

The  leaves  are  simple,  ob- 
long, pale  green  above  and 
white  beneath,  most  of  them 
dropping  off  during  the  win- 
ter, especially  in  the  Pied- 
mont.   The  winter  buds 
are  thickly 
"la       \\M//    fiwMill  ^--mPTT^xioyered 

with     fine 
hairs. 

The  fra- 
grant 
f  1  owers, 
with  9   to 

12  pure  white  petals  ou  slender  smooth  stems,  meas- 
ure from  2  to  3  inches  across.  They  continue  to 
open  during  several  weeks  in  the  spring  and  early 
summer.  The  fruit  cluster,  or  "cone,"  is  oval  in 
shape,  dark  red,  smooth,  about  2  inches  long  by 
one-half  an  inch  broad,  and  contains  scarlet  seeds 
which  are  variably  oval  and  much  flattened,  about 
one-quarter  of  an  inch  long. 

The  wood  is  soft,  light  brown  tinged  with  red, 
with  cream-white  sapwood.  The  tree  is  usually 
too  small  for  the  wood  to  be  of  much  commercial 
importance,  although  it  is  sometimes  used  along 
with  gum  for  woodenware  and  for  making  paper 
pulp.  ^ 


SWEET  BAY,   OK  WHITE  BAY 

Leaf,    one-third    natural    size. 
Twig,   two-thirds  natural  size. 


53 


MOUNTAIN  MAGNOLIA  {Magnolia  frascri  Walt.) 

THE  mountain  magnolia,  sometimes  locally 
known  as  walioo,  is  a  small  tree,  30  to  40  feet 
high,  with  a  straight,  leaning,  or  divided  trunk, 
9  to  IS  inches  in  diameter  and  has  wide-spreading, 
rather  brittle  branches.  It  is  found  in  the  rich 
coves  and  on  the  cool  slopes  of  the  southern  Appa- 
lachian Mountains  at  elevations  from  2,000  to  4,000 

feet. 

The  bark  is 
usually  smooth 
and  grayish 
brown.  The 
terminal  win- 
ter buds  are 
smooth,  jnirple, 
lYo  to  2  inches 
long. 

The  leaves 
are  distinctive, 
being  oblong 
with  the  lower 
end  narrowed 
and  "auricled" 
(i.  e.,  having 
lobes  like  ears) 
at  the  base. 
They  are 
smooth,  10  to 
12  inches  long, 
crowded  at  the 
ends  of  the 
twigs,  and  drop 
off  in  the 
autumn.  The 
flowersare 
white,  fragrant, 
8  to  10  inches  wide,  and  ''perfect"  (i.  c,  having 
stamens  and  pistils  in  the  same  flower.) 

The  fruit  at  maturity  is  red  and  shai)ed  like  a 
cucumber,  4  to  5  inches  long,  bearing  many  scar- 
let seeds,  each  in  a  carpel,  or  cell,  on  which  is  a 
long  stiff  point. 

The  wood  is  light,  soft,  weak  and  easily  worked. 
It  is  only  occasionally  used  for  lumber  or  pulp- 
wood,  in  places  where  practically  all  species  are 
being  cut. 

The  tree  is  occasionally  planted  for  ornamental 
purposes,  but  it  is  said  to  be  less  hardy  than  the 
other  magnolias. 


MOUNTAIN  MAGNOLIA 
Leaf,    one-third    natural    size. 
Twig,   two-thirds  natural  size. 


54 


-^  -^£&=.<,'^S>< 


-€>-;?^<i:t>- 


YELLOW  POPLAR,  OR  TULIP  TREE 

{Liriodendron  tulipifera  L.) 

YELLOW  POPLAR,  or  tulip  tree,  received  its 
names  from  the  yellow  color  of  its  heartwood 
aud  its  attractive  tuiip-like  flowers.  It  is  one  of 
the  largest  and  most  valuable  hardwood  trees  of 
the  United  States.  It  occurs  commonly  throughout 
the  State,  but  reaches  its  largest  size  in  the  deep 
moist  soils  along  streams  and  in  the  lower  moun- 


Leaf,    one-third   natural   size. 


YELLOW   POPLAR 

Twig,  two-thirds 
natural  size. 


tain  coves.  As  more  commonly  seen,  it  has  a  height 
of  60  to  100  feet  and  a  diameter  of  3  to  4  feet.  Origi- 
nal-growth trees,  however,  attain  heights  of  150  to 
190  feet  and  diameters  up  to  10  feet.  Growing  with 
a  straight  central  trunk  like  the  pines,  and  often 
clear  of  limbs  for  30  to  50  feet,  it  has  a  narrow 
pyramidal  head  which  in  older  age  becomes  more 
spreading.  The  tree  has  been  extensively  cut,  but 
is  reproducing  rapidly  and  remains  one  of  the  most 
abundant  and  valuable  trees  in  our  young  second- 
growth  forests.  It  has  been  planted  as  an  orna- 
mental and  shade  tree. 

The  leaves  are  simple,  4  to  6  inches  in  length  and 
breadth,  4-l()bed,  dark  green  in  summer,  turning 
to  a  clear  yellow  in  the  fall. 

The  greenish-yellow  tulip-shaped  flowers  appear 
in  April.  The  fruit  is  a  narrow  light-brown,  upright 
cone,  2  to  3  inches  long,  made  up  of  seeds,  each  en 
closed  in  a  hard  bony  coat  and  provided  with  a 
wing  which  makes  it  easily  carried  by  the  wind. 

The  wood  is  light,  soft,  easily  worked,  light  yel- 
low or  brown,  with  wide  cream-colored  sapwood. 
It  is  extensively  cut  into  lumber  for  interior  and 
exterior  trim,  vehicle  bodies,  veneers,  turnery  and 
other  high-grade  uses. 


SASSAFRAS  (Sassafras  officinale  N.  and  E.) 

THE  sassafras  is  a  small,  aromatic  tree,  usually 
not  over  40  feet  in  height  or  a  foot  in  diameter. 
It  is  common  throughout  the  State  on  dry  soils, 
except  in  the  higher  mountains,  and  is  one  of  the 
tirst  broad-leaf  trees  to  come  up  on  abandoned  lields, 
where  the  seeds  are  dropped  by  birds.  It  is  closely 
related  to  the  camphor  tree  of  Japan.    The  bark  of 


SASSAFRAS 
Twig,  one-half  natural  size.  Leaf,    one-third   natural    size. 

the  trunk  is  thick,  red-brown  and  deeply  furrowed 
and  that  of  the  twigs  is  bright  green. 

The  leaves  are  very  characteristic.  It  is  one  of  the 
few  trees  having  leaves  of  widely  different  shape  on 
the  same  tree,  or  even  on  the  same  twig.  Some  are 
oval  and  entire,  4  to  6  inches  long;  others  have  one 
lobe,  resembling  the  thumb  on  a  mitten;  while  still 
others  are  divided  at  the  outer  end  into  3  distinct 
lobes.  The  young  leaves  and  twigs  are  quite  mu- 
cilaginous. 

The  flowers  are  clustered,  greenish  yellow,  and 
open  with  the  first  unfolding  of  the  leaves.  The  male 
and  female  flowers  are  usually  on  different  trees. 
The  fruit  is  an  oblong,  dark  blue  or  black,  lustrous 
berry,  containing  one  seed  and  surrounded  at  the 
base  by  what  appears  to  be  a  small  orange-red  or 
scarlet  cup  at  the  end  of  a  scarlet  stalk. 

The  wood  is  light,  soft,  weak,  brittle,  and  durable 
in  the  soil ;  the  heartwood  is  dull  orange-brown.  It 
is  used  for  posts,  rails,  boat-building,  cooperage  and 
for  ox -yokes.  The  bark  of  the  roots  yields  the  very 
aromatic  oil  of  sassafras  much  used  for  flavoring 
candies  and  various  commercial  products. 


56 


^^<J5§^-^ -e> -^^^<^4^- 


^>  -^^<X?:t>^  ^>  -^^<^^ 


SWEET  GUM  (Red  Gum) 

(Liquidambar  styraciflua  L.) 

THE  sweet  gum  is  a  large  valuable  forest  tree.  It 
occurs  on  rich  river  bottoms  and  in  swamps  sub- 
ject to  frequent  overflow,  as  well  as  on  drier  uplands 
throughout  the  lower  and  middle  parts  of  the  State. 
It  is  usually  abundant  in  second  growth  on  old  fields 
and  in  cut-over  woods.  The  bark  is  a  light  gray, 
roughened  by  corky  scales,  later  becoming  deeply 
furrowed.  After  the  second  year  the 
twigs  often  develop  2  to  4  corky  pro- 
jections of  the  bark,  which 
give  them  a 
winged  a  p  - 
pearance. 

The  simple, 
al  t  er  n  ate 
star  -  shaped 
leaf,  with  its 
5  to  7  points 
or  lobes,  is 
5  to  7  inches 
across  and 
very  a  r  o- 
matic.  In  the 
fall  its 
coloring  i  s 
brilliant, 
ranging  from 
red  to   a  deep 


SWEET  GUM 

Leaf,    one-third    natural    size. 

Twig,   two-thirds  natural  size. 


pale  yellow   through   orange   and 
bronze. 

The  flowers  are  of  two  kinds  on  the  same  tree, 
unfolding  with  the  leaves.  The  fruit  at  first  glance 
reminds  one  of  the  balls  of  the  sycamore,  but  on 
closer  inspection  proves  to  be  a  head.  It  meas- 
ures an  inch  or  more  in  diameter  and  is  made  up  of 
many  capsules  with  projecting  spines.  It  fre- 
quently hangs  on  the  tree  by  its  long  swinging 
stem  late  into  the  winter. 

The  wood  is  heavy,  moderately  hard,  close- 
grained,  and  not  durable  on  exposure.  The  reddish 
brown  heartwood,  which  suggests  the  name  red  gum, 
is  not  present  to  any  appreciable  extent  in  logs 
under  16  inches  in  diameter.  The  wood  is  exten- 
sively used  for  flooring,  interior  finish,  paper  pulp 
and  veneers  for  baskets  of  all  kinds.  Veneers  of 
the  heartwood  are  largely  used  in  furniture,  some- 
times as  imitation  mahogany  or  Circassian  walnut. 
This  tree  should  be  more  widely  planted  for  orna- 
mental use. 

57 


'^<i^.^  -©--^^-o^- 


SYCAMORE  {Platanus  occidentalis  L.) 

THE  sycamore,  also  called  buttonwood,  is  con- 
sidered the  largest  hardwood  tree  in  North 
America.  It  occurs  throughout  the  State  but  is 
most  abundant  and  reaches  its  largest  size  along 
streams  and  on  rich  bottomlands.  It  is  one  of  the 
more  rapid-growing  trees.  In  maturity  it  occasion- 
ally attains  a  height  of  140  to  170  feet  and  a  diame- 


STCAMORE 

Leaf,    one-third 
natural    size. 

Twig  one-half 
natural    size. 


ter  of  10  to  11  feet.  It  often  forks  into  several 
large  secondary  trunks,  and  the  massive  spreading 
limbs  form  an  open  head  sometimes  100  feet  across. 

The  bark  of  the  sycamore  is  a  characteristic  fea- 
ture. On  the  younger  trunk  and  large  limbs  it  is 
very  smooth,  greenish  gray  in  color.  The  outer 
bark  yearly  flakes  off  in  large  patches  and  exposes 
the  nearly  white  younger  bark.  Near  the  base  of 
old  trees  the  bark  becomes  thick,  dark  brown  and 
divided  by  deep  furrows. 

The  leaves  are  simple,  alternate,  4  to  7  inches 
long  and  about  as  broad,  light  green  and  smooth 
above,  and  paler  below.  The  base  of  the  leafstalk  is 
hollow  and  in  falling  oflf  exposes  the  winter  bud. 
The  fruit  is  a  ball  about  1  inch  in  diameter,  con- 
spicuous throughout  the  winter  as  it  hangs  on  its 
flexible  stem,  which  is  3  to  5  inches  long.  During 
early  spring  the  fruit  ball  breaks  up,  and  the  smaU 
seeds  are  widely  scattered  by  the  wind. 

The  wood  is  hard  and  moderately  strong,  biit 
decays  rapidly  in  the  ground.  It  is  used  for 
butchers'  blocks,  tobacco  boxes,  furniture  and  in- 
terior finish. 

The  European  sycamore,  or  planetree,  is  less  sub- 
ject to  disease  than  our  species  and  has  been  Avidely 
planted  in  this  country  for  ornament  and  shade. 


58 


-e>-^^< 


SERVICE-BERRY,  OR  SERVICE-TREE 

(Amelanchier  canadensis  Medic.) 

THE  service-tree,  also  known  as  service-berry  and 
locally  as  "sarvis,"  is  found  throughout  the  State 
but  attains  its  best  development  on  the  mountain 
slopes.  It  is  a  small  tree,  20  to  50  feet  high  and 
G  to  18  inches  in  diameter,  with  a  rather  narrow, 
rounded  top,  but  is  often  little  more  than  a  shrub. 
The  bark  is  thin,  ashy  gray,  smooth  on  the  branches 
and  upper  part  of  the  stem,  and  breaking  into  shal- 
low fissures  on  the 
ghort  trunk. 

The  leaves  are  alter- 
nate, slender  -  stalked, 
ovate,  pointed,  finely 
toothed,  2  to  4  inches 
long,  purplish  brown 
until  nearly  mature, 
then  becoming  a  light 
green,  and  early  cov- 
ered with  scattered 
silky  hairs. 

The  white  flowers  ap- 
pear in  erect  or  droop- 
ing clusters  in  early 
spring,  before  or  with 

the  leaves,  making  the  tree  quite  conspicuous  in  the 

leafless   or   budding   forest. 

The  fruit  is  sweet,  edible,  rounded,  dark  purple 
when  ripe,  one-third  to  one-half  an  inch  in  diame- 
ter, ripening  early  in  June.  Birds  and  other  deni- 
zens of  the  forest  are  very  fond  of  the  fruit,  and 
men  have  been  known  to  cut  down  and  destroy 
the  trees  to  gather  one  good  crop  of  fruit. 

The  wood  is  heavy,  exceedingly  hard,  strong, 
close-grained  and  dark  brown.  It  is  occasionally 
used  for  handles.  This  is  a  desirable  ornamental 
tree  and  should  be  planted  for  this  purpose  and 
to  encourage  the  birds. 


SERVICE-BERRY,   OR 

SERVICE-TREE 
One-half  natural  size. 


>  .#^<j3^j>-^  '-^-mf-^^' 


^>-^-^<^ 


BLACK  CHERRY  (WUd  Cherry) 


{Prunus  serotina  Erh.) 

A  medium-sized  tree,  up  to  about  70  feet  high 
and  1  to  3  feet  iu  diameter,  black  cherry  as  a 
tree  is  at  its  best  in  the  high  mountains.  The  forest- 
grown  trees  have  long  clear  trunks  with  little  taper ; 
open  grown  trees  have  short  trunks  with  many 
branches  and  irregular  spreading  crowns.  The  bark 
on  branches  and  young  trunks  is  smooth  and  bright 

reddish  brown, 
marked  by  conspicu- 
ous, narrow,  white, 
horizontal 


BLACK    CHERRY 
Twig,   two-thirds  natural  Blze. 
Leaf,    one-third    natural    size. 


oval  to  lance-like  in  shape,  with  edges  broken  by 
many  fine  incurved  teeth,  thick  and  shiny  above, 
and  paler  beneath. 

The  fruit  is  dull  purplish  black,  about  as  large 
as  a  pea,  and  is  borne  in  long  hanging  clusters. 
It  ripens  in  late  summer,  and  is  edible,  although 
it  has  a  slightly  bitter  taste. 

The  wood  is  reddish  brown  wdth  yellowish  sap- 
wood,  moderately  heavy,  hard,  strong,  fine-grained, 
and  does  not  warp  or  split  in  seasoning.  It  is 
valuable  for  its  lustre  and  color  and  is  used  for 
furniture,  interior  finish,  tool^,  and  implement  han- 
dles. With  the  exception  of  black  walnut,  the 
cherry  lumber  has  a  greater  unit  value  than  any 
other  hardwood  of  the  eastern  United  States. 


60 


^<4^3-^  .e>  -ti^^i 


REDBUD  (Cercis  canadensis  L.) 

THE  redbud,  sometimes  called  Judas-tree  from 
its  oriental  relative  of  that  name,  is  a  small 
tree  occurring  under  taller  trees  or  on  the  borders 
of  fields  on  hillsides  and  in  valleys  throughout  the 
State,  except  in  the  mountains,  though  it  is  more 
abundant  in  the  middle  district.  It  ordinarily  at- 
tains a  height  of  25  to  50  feet  and  a  diameter  of 


REDBUD 
Leaf,  one-fifth  natural  size.  Twig,  two-thirds  natural  size. 

6  to  12  inches.  Its  stout  branches  usually  form 
a  wide  flat  head. 

The  bark  is  bright  red-brown,  the  long  narrow 
plates  separating  into  thin  scales. 

The  leaves  are  alternate,  heart-shaped,  entire,  3 
to  5  inches  long  and  wide,  glossy  green  turning  in 
autumn  to  a  bright  clear  yellow. 

The  conspicuous,  bright  purplish  red,  pea-shaped 
flowers  are  in  clusters  along  the  twigs  and  small 
branches  and  appear  before  or  with  the  leaves  in 
early  spring.  With  the  redbud  in  its  full  glory, 
a  drive  through  the  country  is  likely  to  be  one 
long   remembered. 

The  fruit  is  an  oblong,  flattened,  many-seeded  pod, 
2  to  4  inches  long,  reddish  during  the  summer,  and 
often  hanging  on  the  tree  most  of  the  winter. 

The  wood  is  heavy,  hard,  not  strong,  rich  dark 
brown  in  color,  and  of  little  commercial  importance. 
The  redbud  is  cultivated  as  an  ornamental  tree  and 
for  that  purpose  might  be  planted  more  generally 
in  this  State. 


61 


>-^^<j5:|}>-^  -e>-^s%><!<?^-s  ^>-^?#=>'55^^-^  -^-$^-c5:§^^  -e^ 

HONEY  LOCUST  {Gleditsia  triacanthos  L.) 

THE  honey  locust  occurs  scattered  throughout 
the  State  except  high  in  the  mountains.  It  grows 
under  a  wide  variety  of  soil  and  moisture  condi- 
tions. It  sometimes  occurs  in  the  forest,  but  more 
commonly  in  corners  and  waste  places  beside  roads 
and  fields.  It  reaches  a  diameter  of  30  inches  and 
a  height  of  75  feet.    The  bark  on  old  trees  is  dark 

gray  and  is 
divided  into 
thin  tight 
scales.  The 
strong 
thorns— 
straight, 
brown, 
b  r  an  c  hed, 
sharp  and 
shiny  which 
grow  on  the 
1  -  year  -  old 
wood  and  re- 
m  ai  n  for 
many  years 
—  are  suffi- 
cient to  iden- 
tify the  honey 
locust. 


HONEY    LOCUST 
Twig,  three-quarters  natural  size. 
Leaf,  one-quarter  natural  size. 


The  leaf  is 

pinnate,  o  r 
feather  -  like, 
with  18  to  28  leaflets;  or  it  is  twice-pinnate,  con- 
sisting of  4  to  7  pairs  of  pinnate  or  secondary  leaf- 
lets, each  6  to  8  inches  long  and  somewhat  resem- 
bling the  leaf  of  the  black  locust. 

The  fruit  is  a  pod,  10  to  18  inches  long,  often 
twisted,  1  to  11/2  inches  wide,  flat,  dark  brown  or 
black  when  ripe  and  containing  yellow  sweetish 
pulp  and  seeds.  The  seeds  are  very  hard  and  each 
is  separated  from  the  others  by  the  pulp.  The 
pods  are  eaten  by  many  animals,  and  as  the  seeds 
are  hard  to  digest,  many  are  thus  widely  scattered 
from  the  parent  tree. 

The  wood  is  coarse-grained,  hard,  strong  and 
moderately  durable  in  contact  with  the  ground. 
It  is  used  for  fence  posts  and  crossties.  It  should 
not  be  confused  with  the  very  durable  wood  of  the 
black  locust. 


62 


5>-m=^<i^' 


BLACK  LOCUST  (Yellow  Locust) 

{Rohinia  pscudacacia  L.) 

THE  black  locust  occurs  throughout  the  entire 
State  and  in  all  soils  and  conditions  of  moisture 
except  in  swamps.  It  is  found  as  a  forest  tree  only 
in  the  mountains,  where  it  attains  a  height  of  80  to 
100  feet  and  a  diameter  of  30  inches.  Throughout 
the  other  sections  of  the  State  it  occurs  generally 
in  thickets  on  clay  banks  or  waste  places,  or  singly 

along  fence  rows. 
The  twigs  and 
branchlets  are  armed 
w  i  t  h  straight  o  r 
slightly  curved  sharp, 
strong  spines,  some- 
times as  much  as  1 
inch  in  length  which 
remain  attached  to 
the  outer  bark  for 
many  years.  The 
bark  is  dark  brown 
and  divides  into 
strips  as  the  tree 
grows  older. 

The  leaves  are  pin- 
nate, or  feather-like, 
from  6  to  10  inches 
iu  length,  consisting 
of  from  7  to  19  ob- 
long thin  leaflets. 

The  flowers  a  jo 
fragrant,  white  or 
cream-colored,  and 
appear  i  u  early 
spring  in  graceful 
pendant  racemes. 
The  fruit  is  a  pod 
from  3  to  5  inches  long  containing  4  to  8  small  hard 
seeds  which  ripen  late  in  the  fall.  The  pod  splits 
open  during  the  winter,  discharging  the  seeds.  Some 
seeds  usually  remain  attached  to  each  half  of  the 
pod,  and  this  acts  as  a  wing  upon  which  the  seeds 
are  borne  to  considerable  distances  before  the  strong 
spring  winds. 

The  wood  is  yellow  in  color,  coarse-grained,  very 
heavy,  very  hard,  strong,  and  very  durable  in  con- 
tact with  the  soil.  It  is  used  extensively  for  fence 
posts,  poles,  tree  nails,  insulator  pins  and  occasion- 
ally for  lumber  and  fuel. 


BLACK    LOCUST 
Leaf,    one-third    natural    sizf. 
Twig,   two-thirds  natural  sizo. 


'i^-<^- 


HOLLY  (7ica?  opaca  Ait.) 

THE  hollj  occurs  sparingly  scattered  throughout 
the  State.  It  prefers  a  rich  moist  soil,  but  is 
also  found  on  the  higher  and  drier  situations.  It 
is  much  less  abundant  now  than  formerly,  due  to 
the  large  amount  gathered  and  shipped  to  the  cities 
for  Christmas  decorations. 

It  is  a  small  evergreen  tree,  seldom  exceeding  30 
feet  in  height  and  12  inches  in  diameter.  The 
bark  is  light  gray  and 
roughened  by  wart-like 
growths.  The  numerous 
short,  slender  branches 
form  a  dense,  narrow 
pyramidal  head  of  strik- 
ing dark-green  color  efifect, 
especially  when  well  laden 
with  the  conspicuous  red 
berries. 

The  leaves  are  simple, 

alternate,  oval,  thick  and 

leathery,    2    to    4    inches 

long,     and     armed     with 

spiny  teeth;  they  persist 

on  the  branches  for  about 

three  years,  then  they  drop 

off  in  the  spring. 

The  flowers  are  small,  whitish  and  inconspicuous ; 

the  male  and  female  flowers  are  usually  borne  on 

separate  trees. 

The  fruit,  which  ripens  late  in  the  fall  and  per- 
sists on  the  branches  over  the  winter,  is  a  dull 
red  or  sometimes  yellow,  nearly  round  berry,  about 
one-quarter  of  an  inch  in  diameter  containing  4 
to  6  ribbed  nutlets. 

The  wood  is  light,  tough,  not  strong,  and  nearly 
white.  It  is  valued  and  much  used  for  cabinet 
work  and  wood-turning.  For  this  purpose  many 
of  the  larger,  finer  trees  have  been  cut  and  mar- 
keted. 


HOLLY 

Two-thirds  natural  size. 


84 


•e> -#^<j?:|?>-^ -e> 


SUGAR  MAPLE  {Acer  saccharum  Marsh.) 

THE  sugar  maple,  often  called  sugar  tree,  is 
common  only  on  the  cool  slopes  of  our  higher 
mountains.  It  is  generally  a  rather  sloAv-growiug 
tree,  but  in  the  open  it  grows  faster  and  has  a 
very  symmetrical,  dense  crown,  affording  heavy 
shade.  It  is  therefore  quite  extensively  planted  as 
a  shade  tree.    The  bark  on  young  trees  is  light  gray 

to  brown 
and  rather 
smooth, 
but  as  the 
tree  grows 
older  i  t 
breaks  up 
into  long, 
irregular 
plates  o  r 
scales, 
which  vary 
from  light 
gray  to 
almost 
black.  The 
twigs  are 
smooth 
and  red- 
dish brown,  and  the  winter  buds  sharp-pointed. 
The  tree  attains  a  height  of  more  than  100  feet  and 
a  diameter  of  3  feet  or  more.  The  sap  yields  maple 
sugar  and  maple  syrup. 

The  leaves  are  3  to  5  inches  across,  simple,  oppo- 
site, with  3  to  5  pointed  and  sparsely  toothed  lobes, 
the  divisions  between  the  lobes  being  rounded.  The 
leaves  are  dark  green  on  the  upper  surface,  lighter 
green  beneath,  turning  in  autumn  to  brilliant  shades 
of  dark  red,  scarlet,  orange  and  clear  yellow. 

The  flowers  are  yellowish  green,  on  long  thread- 
like stalks,  appearing  with  the  leaves,  the  two  kinds 
in  separate  clusters.  The  fruit,  which  ripens  in  the 
fall,  consists  of  a  two-winged  "samara,"  or  "key," 
the  two  wings  nearly  parallel,  about  1  inch  in  length 
and  containing  a  seed.  It  is  easily  carried  by  the 
wind. 

The  wood  is  hard,  heavy,  strong,  close-grained 
and  light  brown  in  color.  It  is  known  cuniiiuirciully 
as  hard  maple,  and  is  used  in  the  manufacture  of 
flooring,  furniture,  shoe-lasts  and  a  great  variety  of 
novelties. 


SUGAR  MAPLB 
Leaf,    one-third    natural    size. 
Twig,    ouf-half   natural  size. 


65 


RED  MAPLE  {Acer  ruhrum  L.) 

THE  red  maple,  or  swamp  maple,  is  widely  dis- 
tributed throughout  the  State.  It  is  usually 
a  medium-sized  tree,  quick-growing  and  relatively 
short-lived.  It  is  used  as  a  shade  tree,  though  much 
inferior  for  this  purpose  to  the  other  maples,  espe- 
cially the  sugar  maple.  The  bark  is  smooth  and 
light  gray  on  young  stems,  and  dark  gray  and  rough 
on  the  old  limbs  and  trunk. 


RED  MAPLE 

Leaf,    one-third    natural    size. 

Twig,  one-half  natural  size. 

The  leaves  are  2  to  5  inches  long  and  have  from 
3  to  5  pointed,  saw-toothed  lobes,  which  are  sepa- 
rated by  sharp  angular  sinuses  or  openings.  The 
upper  surface  when  mature  is  light  green  and  the 
lower  surface  whitish  and  partly  covered  with  pale 
down.  In  autumn  the  leaves  turn  to  brilliant  shades 
of  red,  orange  and  yellow. 

The  red  flowers  in  dense  clusters  appear  in  early 
spring  before  the  leaves,  the  buds  turning  a  deep 
red  sometime  before  they  open.  The  winter  buds 
are  small,  red  and  round  or  blunt-pointed.  The 
fruit  ripens  in  late  spring  or  early  summer.  It 
consists  of  pairs  of  winged  seeds,  or  keys,  one-half 
to  1  inch  in  length,  on  long  drooping  stems,  red, 
reddish  brown  or  yellow  in  color. 

The  wood,  which  is  commercially  known  as  soft 
maple,  is  heavy,  close-grained,  rather  weak  and  of 
a  light-brown  color.  It  is  used  in  the  manufacture 
of  furniture,  and  for  turnery,  woodenware,  and  also 
for  fuel. 


YELLOW  BUCKEYE 

(Aesculus  octandra  Marsh.) 

THE  yellow  buckeye,  or  sweet  buckeye,  generally 
known  simply  as  buckeye,  flourishes  in  the  rich 
mountain  coves  of  the  southern  Appalachians,  where 
it  attains  a  height  of  90  feet  and  a  diameter  of  -i 
feet.  It  extends  eastward  and  westward  from  the 
mountains  in  rich  bottoms  and  moist  uplands, 
chiefly,  however,  as  a  shrub. 


YELLOW  BUCKEYE 

Nut,  one-third  natural  sizp.  Twig,  three-quarters  natural  size. 

Leaf,  oue-Quarter  natural  size. 

The  bark  is  gray -brown  and  somewhat  smooth  but 
breaks  up  into  thin  irregular  scales. 

The  leaves^  unlike  those  of  any  other  of  our  tree 
species  except  the  other  member  of  the  buckeye 
group,  are  divided  into  usually  5,  but  sometimes 
{y  or  7  oblong,  pointed,  sharply  toothed  leaflets  4 
1o  ()  inches  long,  all  set  on  the  end  of  the  leaf  stems, 
which  are  about  as  long  as  the  leaflet.  The  leaves 
usually  fall  very  early  in  the  autumn  on  account 
of  the  attacks  of  a  disease  which  causes  large  brown 
spots. 

The  flowers  are  yellowish  (sometimes  purplish), 
in  large  clusters  opening  when  the  leaves  are  about 
lialf  grown.  The  fruit  is  smooth,  roundish,  rusty 
brown,  enclosing  one  or  two  rounded,  chestnut- 
brown,  shiny  seeds  called  buckeyes.  The  kernel 
is  "sweet"  enough  to  be  eaten  readily  by  hogs  and 
cattle. 

The  wood  is  cream-white,  light  and  soft  and  de- 
cays rapidlj'  when  exposed  to  the  weather.  It  is 
used  for  wooden  ware,  artificial  limbs,  and  for  paper 
pulp. 

67 


^■^^='<^^' 


LINDEN,  OR  BASSWOOD  {Tilia  species) 

THE  lindens,  basswoods  or  lins,  are  a  grouii  of 
forest  trees  distinctive,  yet  as  a  group  so  simi- 
lar that  they  are  being  considered  together.  They 
grow  chiefly  in  the  mountains,  where  they  are  com- 
mon and  valuable  timber  trees,  attaining  heights 
of  80  feet  and  diameters  of  i  feet.  The  bark  is 
light  brown,  deeply  furrowed,  and  is  often  peeled 
for  making  rough  camp  buildings.  The  inner  bark 
furnishes  bast  for  making  mats. 

The  leaves  are 
more  or  less  heart- 
shaped,  3  to  6 
inches  long,  thin, 
saw -toothed, 
smooth  on  both 
sides  in  some 
species,  but  woolly 
on  the  under  sur- 
face of  others. 

The  flowers  are 
yellowish      white, 
in   drooping   clus- 
ters    opening     in 
early  summer,  and 
the  flower-stem  is 
united  to  the  mid- 
dle of  a  long,  nar- 
row, leaf-like  bract.     They  are  very  fragrant  and 
from  them  the  bees  make  large  amounts  of  choice- 
grade  honey. 

The  fruit  is  a  berry-like,  dry,  1  or  2  seeded  and 
rounded  pod,  one-quarter  to  one-half  an  inch  in 
diameter,  covered  with  short,  thick  and  brownish 
wool.  It  remains  attached  in  clusters  to  the  leafy 
bract,  which  later  acts  as  a  wing  to  bear  it  away  on 
the  wind. 

The  wood  is  light,  soft,  tough,  not  durable,  light 
brown  in  color.  It  is  used  in  the  manufacture  of 
pulp,  wooden  ware,  furniture,  trunks,  excelsior  and 
manv  other  articles. 


LINDEN,   OK   BASSWOOD 
Leaf,    one-third    natural    size. 
Twig,  one-half  natural  size. 


68 


DOGWOOD  (Cormis  florida  L.) 

THE  dogweod,  sometimes  referred  to  in  books  as 
flowering  dogwood,  is  found  growing  throughout 
the  State,  usually  under  the  larger  forest  trees.  It 
is  a  small  tree,  usually  15  to  30  feet  high  and  (5  to  12 
inches  in  diameter,  occasionally  larger,  with  a  rather 
flat  and  spreading  crown  and  short,  often  crooked 
trunk.       The  bark  is  reddish  brown  to  black  and 

broken  up  into  small 
4-sided  scaly  blocks. 
The  leaves  are  op- 
posite, ovate,  3  to  5 
inches  long,  2  to  3 
inches  wide,  pointed, 
entire  or  wavy  on 
the  margin,  bright 
green  above,  pale 
green  or  grayish 
beneath. 

The  flowers,  which 
unfold  from  the  con- 
spicuous, round, 
grayish,  winter  flow- 
er buds  before  the 
leaves     come    out,  2- 

are  small,  greenish 
yellow,  arranged  in 
dense  heads  s  u  r- 
rounded  b  y  large 
white  or  rarely  pink- 
ish petal-like  bracts, 
which  give  the  ap- 
pearance of  large  spreading  flowers  2  to  1  inches 
across. 

The  fruit  is  a  bright  scarlet  "berry,"  one-half  an 
inch  long  and  containing  a  hard  nutlet  in  which  are 
1  or  2  seeds.  Usually  several  fruits,  or  "berries,"  are 
contained  in  one  head.  They  are  relished  by  birds, 
squirrels  and  other  animals. 

The  wood  is  hard,  heavy,  strong,  very  close- 
grained,  brown  to  red  in  color.  It  is  in  great  demand 
for  cotton-mill  machinery,  turnery  handles  and 
forms.  One  other  tree  has  quite  similar  wood — the 
persimmon.  ' 

The  dogwood,  wittf  its  masses  of  early  spring  flow- 
ers, its  dark-red  autumn  foliage  and  its  bright-red 
berries,  is  probably  our  most  ornamental  native  tree. 
It  should  be  used  much  more  extensively  in  roadside 
and  ornamental  planting. 


DOGWOOD 

Leaf,  one-half  natural  size. 
Twig,  two-thirds  natural  size. 


^>-m=><^' 


SOURWOOD  {Oxydcndrum  arhorcum  DC.) 

THE  sourwood  is  found  scattered  throughout  the 
State  on  both  rich  and  poor  soil,  but  is  least 
abundant  in  the  low  alluvial  parts  of  the  State.  It 
is  a  tree  of  small  dimensions,  8  to  12  inches  in  diame- 
ter and  30  to  40  feet  high,  rarely  larger. 

The  bark  is  thin,  light  gray  and  divided  into  nar- 
row shallow  ridges.  On  the  strong,  straight,  first- 
year  shoots  it  is  often  a  bright  red. 


SOURWOOD 

Leaf,  one-lmlf  naturni  size. 

Twig,    two-thirds   natural   size. 

The  leaves  are  from  2  to  5  inches  long,  simple, 
alternate,  decidedly  acid  to  the  taste,  often  rough 
with  solitary  stiff  hairs.  They  are  a  lustrous  green 
on  the  upper  surface,  generally  turning  a  deep  crim- 
son in  the  fall. 

The  flowers  are  small,  white  or  cream-colored, 
borne  in  panicles  from  5  to  10  inches  long  on  the 
ends  of  the  twigs,  and  appear  in  late  summer.  They 
provide  storehouses  of  nectar  from  which  bees  make 
excellent  honey. 

The  fruit  is  a  conical,  dry  capsule,  one-third  to 
one-half  an  inch  in  length,  containing  numerous 
small  seeds.  These  capsules  hang  in  drooping  clus- 
ters sometimes  a  foot  in  length,  often  late  into  the 
fall. 

The  wood  is  heavy,  hard,  very  close-grained,  com- 
pact, brown  in  color,  sometimes  tinged  with  red.  It 
is  used  to  some  extent  for  turnery,  handles,  and  for 
some  other  uses. 


70 


(EST   TTRSC^S 

BLACK  GUM  {Nyssa  sylvatica  Marsh.) 

THE  black  gum,  often  called  sour  gum,  has  been 
considered  a  weed  in  the  forest.  Weed-like,  it 
finds  footing  in  many  types  of  soil  and  conditions  of 
soil  moisture  throughout  the  State.  In  the  lowlands 
it  is  occasionally  found  in  year-round  swamps  with 
cypress,  and  in  the  hills  and  mountains  on  dry  slopes 
with  oaks  and  hickories. 

The  leaves  are  simple,  2  to  3  inches 
long,  entire,  often  broader  near  the  apex, 
shiny,  and  dark  green  in  color.     In  the 

fall  the 
leaves 
turn  a 
most  bril- 
liant red. 


BLACK    GUM 

One-half    natural    size. 


The 
bark  on 

y  ounger 
trees  is 
furrowed 
b  etwee  n 
flat  ridges, 
and  grad- 
ually de- 
velops into  quadrangular  blocks  that  are  dense,  hard 
and  nearly  black. 

The  greenish  flowers  on  long  slender  stems  ap- 
pear in  early  spring  when  the  leaves  are  about 
one-third  grown.  They  are  usually  of  two  kinds, 
the  male  in  many-flowered  heads  and  the  female 
in  two  to  several-flowered  clusters  on  different  trees. 
The  fruit  is  a  dark  blue,  fleshy  berry,  two-thirds  of 
an  inch  long,  containing  a  single  hard-shelled  seed, 
and  is  borne  on  long  stems,  2  to  3  in  a  cluster. 

The  wood  is  very  tough,  cross-grained,  not  dur- 
able in  contact  with  the  soil,  hard  to  work,  and 
warps  easily.  It  is  used  for  crate  and  basket 
veneers,  box  shooks,  rollers,  mallets,  rough  floors, 
mine  trams,  pulpwood,  and  fuel.  In  the  old  days, 
the  hollow  trunks  were  used  for  "bee  gums." 


71 


TUPELO  GUM  (Cotton  Gum) 

{Nyssa  aqiiatica  Marsh.) 

THE  tupelo  gum,  or  cotton  gum,  inhabits  only 
the  deep  river  swamps  or  coastal  swamps  which 
are  usually  inundated  during  a  part  of  the  year. 
The  commonly  enlarged  base,  large-sized  fruit,  or 
"plum,"  hanging  on  a  long  stem,  together  with  the 
brittleness  of  the  twigs,  serves  to  distinguish  it 
from  the  black  gum.  It  forms  a  tall,  often  slowly 
tapering,  somewhat  crooked 
trunk,  50  to  75  feet  in  height  r 

and  2  to  3  feet  in  diameter. 
The  spreading,  rather  small         ^ 
branches  form  a  narrow,  ob-         '\ 
long     or     pyramidal     head.  ' 

The  branches  are  generally 
smooth  and  light  brown  in 
color.  The  bark  of  the  trunk 
is  thin,  dark  brown,  and  fur- 
rowed up  and  down  the 
trunk. 

The  leaves  are  sim- 
ple, ovate  or  oblong 
in  shape,  acute  and 
often    long  -  pointed. 
When    mature,    they 
are  thick,  dark  green 
and  lustrous  on  the 
upper  side,  pale  and 
somewhat  downy  on 
the  lower  side,  5  to  7 
inches  long  and  2  to  4  inches  at  the  top,  wedge- 
shaped  at  the  base,  irregular  and  slightly  notched  or 
toothed  on  the  margin.    The  leaf-stem  is  stout,  1  to 

2  inches  long,  grooved  and  enlarged  at  the  base. 
The  flowers,  which   appear  in  March  or  April, 

are  of  two  kinds,  usually  l)oi*ne  on  separate  trees, 
the  male  in  dense  round  clusters,  and  the  female 
solitary  on  long  slender  stems. 

The  fruit,  ripening  in  early  fall,  is  a  so-called 
"plum,"  oblong  or  obovate  in  shape,  about  an  inch 
long,  dark  purple,  and  has  a  thick,  tough  skin  en- 
closing a  flattened  stone,  borue  on  a  slender  stalk 

3  to  4  inches  hmg. 

The  wood  is  light,  soft,  and  not  strong.  It  ia 
used  for  woodenware,  brooiu  handles,  fruit  and 
vegetable  packages.  As  lumber  it  is  marketed  as 
tupelo  or  bay  poplar.  The  root-wood  is  often  ex- 
tremely light  in  weight  and  is  sometimes  used  for 
floats  for  fish  nets. 

72 


TUPELO  GUM 
Leaf,    one-third    natural    size. 
Twig,   two-thirds  natural  size. 


^<:^' 


PERSIMMON   {Diospyros  virginiana  L.) 

THE  persimmon,  often  called  "simmon,"  is  well 
known  throughout  its  range.  It  is  a  small  tree, 
rarely  exceeding  50  feet  in  height  and  18  inches  in 
diameter,  occurring  throughout  the  State,  except 
in  the  high  mountains.  It  seems  to  prefer  dry,  open 
situations,  and  is  most  abundant  in  old  fields, 
though  it  occurs  on  rich  bottomlands.    The  bark  of 

old  trees  is  almost 
black  and  sepa- 
rated into  thick 
nearly  square 
blocks,  much  like 
the  black  gum. 

The  leaves  are 
alternate,  oval, 
entire,  4  to  6 
inches  long,  dark 
green  and  shining 
above,  paler  be- 
neath. 

The  small  flow- 
erS;,  which  appear 
in  May,  are  yel- 
lowish or  cream- 
white,  somewhat 
bell-shaped,  the 
two  kinds  occur- 
ring on  separate 
trees ;  the  male  in 

clusters  of  2  or  3,  the  female  solitary.    They  are 

visited  by  many  insects. 

The  fruit  is  a  pulpy,  round,  orange-colored  or 
brown  berry,  an  inch  or  more  in  diameter  and  con- 
taining several  flattened,  hard,  smooth  seeds.  It  is 
strongly  astringent  while  green,  but  often  quite 
sweet  and  delicious  when  thoroughly  ripe.  It  is 
much  relished  by  children,  and  by  dogs,  'possums 
and  other  animals. 

The  wood  is  hard,  dense,  heavy,  strong,  the  heart- 
wood  brown  or  black,  the  wide  sapwood  white  or  yel- 
lowish. It  is  particularly  valued  for  shuttles,  golf- 
stick  heads,  and  similar  special  uses,  but  is  not  ot 
sufficient  commercial  use  to  warrant  its  general  en- 
couragement as  a  timber  tree. 


PERSIMMON 

Leaf,  one-half  natural  size. 

Twig,  three-quarters  natural  size. 


73 


.^-^^^sft^.^  ^-m><i^' 


SILVERBELL  {Halesia  Carolina  L.) 

THIS  tree  occurs  in  its  best  development  in  the 
Great  Smoky  Mountains,  but  extends  through- 
out the  whole  mountainous  region.  It  attains  a 
height  of  about  100  feet  and  a  diameter  of  30  inches 
or  more,  but  only  in  favorable  localities  does  it  grow 
large  enough  for  commercial  use.  It  is  commonly 
found  along  the  upper  watercourses.  It  is  occasion- 
ally planted,  as  it  makes  a  desirable  ornamental  tree. 

The  leaves  arc  simple,  opposite, 
oval,  pointed,  thin,  finely  toothed, 
and  vary  in  length  from  4 
to  6  inches. 

The  bark  ranges  in  color 

from   very   light   gray   in 

\ -Wy/ U    i    (  \i^'    young  trees  to  a  very  dark 

I      \\\ \Xf  ^  reddish     brown     in     old 

tt         \^7    /^U-  trees.     It  separates  into 

^  R     ^)l\^^fev   scales  and  strips  as  the 

tree  grows  older. 

The  flowers  are  white 
or  sometimes  tinged  with 
pink,  nearly  an  inch  long, 
and  appear  in  early  spring 
with  the  unfolding  of  the 
leaves.  The  pendent,  bell-like  flowers  suggest  the 
names  silverbell  and  snowdrop  tree.  The  fruit  is 
from  1  to  2  inches  long  and  nearly  an  inch  wide, 
with  a  corky,  four-winged  covering.  The  solitary 
seed  is  a  bony  stone. 

The  wood  is  soft,  light  cherry-colored  streaked 
with  white ;  the  sapwood  is  white  or  creamy.  Where 
large  enough,  it  is  cut  for  lumber  and  used  as  a  sub- 
stitute for  cherry. 

The  large  commercial  tree  is  by  some  considered 
a  separate  species,  Halesia  ino)iticola  Sarg. 


SILVERBELL 

Leaf,  one-half  natural  size. 

Twig,   one-third    natural    size. 


74 


WHITE  ASH  {Fraxinus  americana  L.) 

THE  white  ash  is  found  throughout  the  State,  but 
grows  to  best  advantage  in  the  rich  moist  soils 
of  mountain  coves  and  river  bottomlands.  It  reaches 
an  average  height  of  50  to  80  feet  and  a  diameter  of 
2  to  3  feet,  though  much  larger  trees  are  found  in 
virgin  forest.  The  bark  varies  in  color  from  a  light 
gray  to  a  gray -brown.    The  rather  narrow  ridges  are 


WHITE  ASH 


Twig,  one-half  natural  size. 


Leaf,  one-third  natural  size. 


separated  with  marked  regularity  by  deep,  diamond- 
shaped  fissures. 

The  leaves  of  the  white  ash  are  from  8  to  12  inches 
long  and  have  from  5  to  9  plainly  stalked,  sharp- 
pointed  leaflets,  dark  green  and  smooth  above,  pale 
green  beneath.  The  ashes  form  the  only  group  of 
trees  in  ea  tern  America  that  have  opposite,  com- 
pound leaves  with  5  or  more  leaflets.  This  fact  in 
Itself  provides  a  ready  means  of  identifying  the 
group.  The  flowers  are  of  two  kinds  on  different 
trees,  the  male  in  dense  reddish  purple  clusters  and 
the  female  in  more  open  bunches.  The  fruit  of  the 
ash  is  winged,  1  to  11/2  inches  long,  resembling  the 
blade  of  a  canoe  paddle  in  outline,  with  the  seed  at 
the  handle  end.  The  fruits  mature  in  late  summer 
and  are  distributed  effectively  by  the  winds. 

The  wood  of  the  white  ash  is  extremely  valuable 
on  account  of  its  toughness  and  elasticity.  It  is 
preferred  to  all  other  native  woods  for  small  tool 
handles,  such  athletic  implements  as  rackets,  bats 
and  oars,  and  agricultural  implements.  It  is  also 
used  extensively  for  furniture  and  interior  finish. 


75 


TABLE  OF  CONTENTS 


Page 

Abies  IS 

Acer   65-66 

Aeeculus  67 

Amelanchier  59 

Ash,    White 75 

Bald  Cypress... 16 

Balsam,  Mountain  15 

She   15 

Southern   15 

Basswood  68 

Bay,  Pine 11 

Sweet   53 

White  53 

Beech    33 

Betula    28-30 

Birch,   Black 30 

Cherry 30 

Red  28 

River  28 

Sweet  30 

Yellow  i» 

Bitternut    Hickory        .      21 

Buckeye,    Sweet 67 

Yellow  67 

Butternut  *• 10 

Buttonball  .^. 58 

Buttonwood  f7. 58 

Carpiuus  32 

Carya   21-24 

Castanea  34 

Cedar,  Red 18 

White  17 

Celtls    50 

Cercis  61 

Chamaecyparis  17 

Cherry,  Black 60 

Wild  60 

Chestnut  34 

Comus 69 

Cottonwood    27 

Cottonwood,  Swamp  26 

Cucumber  Tree 52 

Cypress,  Bald 16 

Diospyros  73 

Dogwood  „„ 69 


Page 

Elm,  American. 48 

White  48 

Winged 49 

Fagus   33 

Fir.   Fraser 15 

Fraxinus    75 

Gleditsia    62 

Gum,   Black 71 

Cotton   72 

Red  57 

Sweet  57 

Tupelo 72 

Hackberry 50 

Halesia   74 

Hemlock  14 

Hemlock,   Carolina 14 

Hemlock  Spruce 14 

Hickory,  Bitternut 21 

Mockernut  23 

Pale-leaved   24 

Pignut    24 

Scaly-bark  22 

Shagbark  22 

Shellbark 22 

Small-fruited  ...  24 

White  23 

Whiteheart   23 

Holly   64 

Honey   Locust 62 

Hop   Hornbeam 31 

Hornbeam   32 

Ilex  64 

Ironwood  31,  32 

Judas-tre0  61 

Juglans  19-20 

Juniper   17 

Juniperus  18 

Linden  68 

Linn 68 

Liquidambar 57 

Liriodendron 55 

Locust,   Black 63 

Honey  62 

YeUow 63 

Magnolia,  Mountain      53,54 


76 


TABLE  OF  CONTENTS— Commued 


Page 

Maple,    Hard 65 

Red   66 

Soft    66 

Sugar 65 

Swamp  56 

Mockei-nut  Hickory 23 

Moms  51 

Mulberry,  Red 51 

Nyssa   71-72 

Oak,  Basket 39 

Black  43 

Black  jack 45 

Chestnut    38 

Cow   39 

Live  40 

Mountain  38 

Northern  red 41 

Overcup  37 

Post   36 

Red 42 

Rock  38 

Scarlet  44 

Spanish  42,44 

Southern  red 42 

Swamp  chestnut 39 

Swamp  post 37 

Water  46,47 

White  35 

Willow    47 

Yellow  43 

Ostrya   31 

Oxydendrum  70 

Persimmon  73 

Picea 13 

Pine,  Bay 11 

Black  9 

Black-bark  11 

Loblolly   7 

Longleaf  8 

Mountain  12 

Old  field 6,7 

Pitch  9 

Pocosin 11 

Pond  11 

Rosemary  6 


Page 

;  Scrub  10 

Shortleaf  6,7 

Spruce  10 

Table  mountain 12 

White 5 

Yellow  7 

Pinus  5-12 

Plane  tree 58 

Platanus  58 

Poplar,  Black 26 

Carolina  27 

Tulip  55 

White  26 

Yellow  55 

Populus    2G-27 

Pruuus  60 

Quercus 35-47 

Redbud  61 

Robinia   63 

Salix  25 

Sarvis  59 

Sassafras  56 

Scaly-bark  hickory 22 

Service-berry    59 

Service  tree 59 

Silverbell  74 

Simmon  73 

Snowdrop  tree 74 

Sourwood  70 

Spruce,  Red 10 

Sugarberry  50 

Sycamore    58 

Sycamore,  European 58 

Taxodium  16 

Tilia  68 

Tulip  tree 55 

Tupelo  gum 72 

Tsuga   14 

Ulmus   48-49 

Wahoo  54 

Walnut,  Black 20 

White  19 

Water  beech 32 

Willow,  Black *  25 


^■i^m>tw^»v)^^, 


